Chilli Beach

Chilli Beach is a remote, undeveloped beach on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula within Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park in Cook Shire, Queensland. Accessible only by four-wheel drive, it is known for its long sandy shoreline, coconut palms, and wilderness setting facing the Coral Sea. The beach is a popular camping destination offering fishing, birdwatching and scenic views, and lies within one of Australia's largest lowland rainforest areas.

Visitors can expect a remote wilderness beach with a long stretch of white sand fringed by coconut palms and backed by lowland rainforest of Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park. There are no shops, resorts or developed promenades. The main area is the designated camping ground set behind the dunes with basic facilities. Activities centre on beach walking, photography, fishing from the shore, birdwatching and four-wheel driving. The sea is not patrolled and swimming is not recommended. Access is via rough unsealed 4WD tracks and visitors need to be self-sufficient.

Chilli Beach lies within the Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park area, which includes the Iron Range region noted for its World War II history when airfields were built near Lockhart River and Portland Roads. The broader Cape York Peninsula has a long history of Aboriginal occupation and later exploration and mining activity.

The beach and surrounding national park lie on the traditional lands of Aboriginal peoples of eastern Cape York, including Kuuku Ya'u people. The area is valued for its natural and cultural landscape, with rainforest, coastline and waterways holding ongoing cultural significance for Traditional Owners.