Vacation rentals in Magnetic Island

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Top-rated holiday rentals in Magnetic Island

Guests agree: these stays are highly rated for location, cleanliness, and more.

Guest favourite
Apartment in Nelly Bay
Marina View Nelly Bay Magnetic Island
Your home away from home during your stay on Maggie is lovely "Marina View" a studio style apartment with a comfy King Size bed, bathroom with everything you need, coffee Pod machine, toaster & microwave, living area with TV and DVD and a private terrace with sensational views of the marina and our fantastic sunsets. Please note this is a resort studio style unit & the above is the only cooking amenity but you have a BBQ nearby and restaurants and cafes within walking distance. Relax and enjoy!
1 – 8 Dec
4.9 out of 5 average rating, 196 reviews
Superhost
Condo in Nelly Bay
Tropical island views of the beautiful Coral Sea
The penthouse corner apartment faces the beautiful Coral Sea with ocean views. Personally decorated with top quality furnishings, it's located in the Mercure Resort, Nelly Bay, where you'll have access to gyms & 4 pools. There is no BBQ on balcony, but there are 3 BBQ's in the resort. A 5 min walk from the ferry terminal, IGA, Bottle-o and local bus stop to access beaches & bays, or hire an island car to explore this beautiful unspoilt island paradise. Installed with fast WIFI & Netflix.
29 Jan – 5 Feb
4.82 out of 5 average rating, 161 reviews
Guest favourite
Apartment in Nelly Bay
Panoramic Ocean Views 2 bed/2 bath Unit, Nelly Bay
Absolute water front unit a few mins walk from Ferry & Bus Terminal. Ground floor, fully Air-conditioned 2 bedroom (1xKing +2 King Singles), 2.5 bathroom unit. Uninterrupted ocean views from all living areas & bedrooms. Main patio with a 6-seat table has a private gate to infinity pool and opens onto an ocean-facing grass area visited by rock wallabies. Main bedroom has its own patio. Windows are screened. Separate laundry with washer & clothes dryer. ADSL WiFi. Lounge has smart TV & Netflix.
2 – 9 Nov
4.92 out of 5 average rating, 204 reviews

Popular amenities for Magnetic Island holiday rentals

Other great holiday rentals in Magnetic Island

Guest favourite
Guest suite in Horseshoe Bay
The Footbridge Garden bungalow
26 Jan – 2 Feb
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 20 reviews
Guest favourite
Guesthouse in Horseshoe Bay
The Pineapple Packing Shed
20 – 27 Feb
4.98 out of 5 average rating, 45 reviews
Guest favourite
Guesthouse in Horseshoe Bay
Brand New Horseshoe Bay Getaway
18 – 25 Apr
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 13 reviews
Guest favourite
Villa in Picnic Bay
The Pavilions; Private & Exclusive Island home
16 – 23 June
4.81 out of 5 average rating, 47 reviews
Guest favourite
Home in Arcadia
NEW Home"Reef Shack" sleep-9
16 – 23 Jan
4.89 out of 5 average rating, 81 reviews
Guest favourite
Apartment in Nelly Bay
Absolutely Lovely Waterfront Apartment 333
29 May – 5 June
4.95 out of 5 average rating, 19 reviews
Guest favourite
Apartment in Nelly Bay
Best Views
12 – 19 May
4.86 out of 5 average rating, 50 reviews
Guest favourite
Guesthouse in Picnic Bay
Picnic Garden Room
18 – 23 Apr
4.93 out of 5 average rating, 14 reviews
Guest favourite
Home in Magnetic Island
ISLAND ADVENTURE HOLIDAY HOUSE
20 – 27 Oct
4.91 out of 5 average rating, 76 reviews
Guest favourite
Apartment in Nelly Bay
Luxurious Magnetic Island Apartment 1 Bright Point
18 – 25 July
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 44 reviews
Guest favourite
Cottage in Picnic Bay
Bali Ha'i - hidden island gem
8 – 15 Nov
4.97 out of 5 average rating, 32 reviews
Guest favourite
Home in Picnic Bay
Picnic House, luxurious, tropical & close to beach
13 – 20 Dec
5.0 out of 5 average rating, 45 reviews

Your guide to Magnetic Island

Welcome to Magnetic Island

With gorgeous beaches, fringing coral reefs, and rugged bushland, Magnetic Island is a spectacular pocket of north Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. More than half of the island, located off the coast of Townsville, is a national park. The rest is given over to conservation parks, mangroves, and a handful of settlements.

The villages of Nelly Bay, where the ferry from Townsville docks, and Picnic Bay are at the southern end of the island. Then there’s Horseshoe Bay to the north and the hamlet of West Point to the west. On the coastline between these villages you’ll find scores of secluded beaches and reefs to explore with a snorkel and flippers or dive gear. Offshore you may see sea turtles and dugongs, which are drawn to the meadows of seagrass around the island. In the interior, there’s a network of walking tracks through the hoop pines and eucalyptus forests of Magnetic Island National Park, which is home to koalas, kookaburras, and rock wallabies, among many other native animals.


The best time to stay in a holiday rental in Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is a little cooler than mainland Townsville, although not by much. Expect hot, humid days and warm nights from early spring, with high temperatures barely budging from October through to mid-autumn. The tropical island gets more than half its annual rainfall from January to March, with the wet season lingering until April. There are some netted beaches on Magnetic Island, but you’ll need a stinger suit to protect yourself from jellyfish between November and April if you’re venturing into the water. Stay in one of the island’s holiday houses in late autumn and winter and you’ll enjoy cool, dry weather for hiking. As a bonus the sea will still be warm, and you’ll be far less likely to encounter any marine stingers.


Top things to do in Magnetic Island

Museum of Underwater Art’s Coral Greenhouse

One of the first two installations of Townsville’s Museum of Underwater Art, this steel sculpture of a greenhouse sits on the ocean floor at a nearby reef, slowly being colonised by sea life. Only five tour operators are licensed by the museum to offer diving trips to the Coral Greenhouse: two of these companies operate from Magnetic Island.

Snorkel trails

At Nelly Bay and Geoffrey Bay, on the eastern coast of the island, you can swim out to coral reefs and follow numbered floats along marked snorkel trails. Grab a waterproof swim card from any shop on the island so you can identify the corals and colourful fish you’ll encounter.

Hiking the national park

There’s a walking track to suit everyone on the island, from a short walk around Horseshoe Lagoon to the Picnic Bay to West Point Trail. The return journey to West Point along the wetlands and grasslands of the western side of the island takes around five hours.

Destinations to explore