With a large national park and peaceful beaches, this well-known beach resort never feels far from nature.

While popular beach resorts are often lined with glassy high-rises and clogged with car traffic, Noosa Heads defies expectations with a beachfront area that is both popular and idyllic. Once a modest fishing village, this scenic town on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is now a fashionable tourist town. Fortunately, the area has managed to maintain its natural beauty. Around a third of the region is protected, including the 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) of Noosa National Park and although the urban development around Noosa Heads is extensive, the buildings have been kept low to the ground. Spend several days here exploring the wilderness and relaxing on a Noosa Heads beach.

Noosa Beach, also known as Main Beach, is a good place to start exploring Noosa Heads. Since the beach faces north, the waters here are very calm, so it is a great place to bring the whole family. Surfers should head east to the waters off Noosa National Park, which offer some of the best waves in Australia.

Explore the extensive walking paths of Noosa National Park, which lies to the southeast of Noosa Heads. Black cockatoos and koalas are known to live in the park’s trees, so be on the lookout. Elevated viewpoints and secluded beaches are scattered across the park’s vast area. To venture even further into the wilderness around Noosa Heads, book a seat on a cruise along the Noosa River, which meanders north into the massive Lake Cootharaba.

Discover the downtown area of Noosaville along Hastings Street. High-end boutiques share the strip with gourmet restaurants, where you can sample fresh seafood and local delicacies. At dusk, take a walk along the scenic beachside boardwalk and look out onto the Pacific Ocean.

Noosa Heads is located less than 2 hours drive from Brisbane. It is also an hour’s drive from Australia Zoo, where you can discover more native wildlife. Noosa Heads offers you the best of both worlds: the glamour of a beach resort in an unspoiled natural setting.