Cardwell Spa Pool

Cardwell Spa Pool is a natural spring-fed swimming hole located about 7 kilometres west of Cardwell in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, on the edge of Girramay National Park. Renowned for its vivid turquoise-blue water and rainforest setting, it is a popular free recreation site for swimming and picnicking. Accessed via Cardwell Forest Drive off the Bruce Highway, it features clear cool water, a sandy bottom and surrounding tropical forest between Cairns and Townsville.

Visitors can expect a small, clear natural pool with striking turquoise-blue water set in tropical rainforest and open woodland. The pool has a sandy and rocky bottom with shallow and deeper areas for wading and swimming. Surrounds include grassy banks, picnic tables, and forest shade. There are no built structures in the water itself. The site is natural and unpatrolled, popular for swimming, photography and relaxing, with parking and basic facilities nearby.

The pool lies within the traditional lands of the Girramay people and is situated near the historic coastal town of Cardwell, one of the earliest settlements in North Queensland established in 1864. The natural spring has long been used as a local swimming hole and became widely known as a roadside attraction for travellers on the Bruce Highway.

The area is part of Girramay Country and holds cultural significance for Traditional Owners. The natural spring and surrounding rainforest are valued for their natural heritage and as a community recreation place for residents and visitors to the Cassowary Coast.