Where to find the best swim-up bars in The Whitsundays

Did you even go on holidays if you didn’t spend half the time lounging by the pool with a cocktail in hand? The Whitsundays says no. 

The Whitsundays is a tropical haven for sun-seekers, lured to its 74 island wonders, world-famous beaches (ahem, Whitehaven Beach) and infinite resort pools for cooling off in between.   

If you’re the kind of holidaymaker that likes to set up for a day by the pool with a good book – you’re in luck. Up here, the only sunbaking break you’ll need to take involves floating from one side of the pool, to the bar side of the pool. 

Cue the Instagram poolside drink selfies and dive into our list of the best swim-up bars in The Whitsundays. 

1. Hamilton Island’s Main Pool Bar  

One sip into your Mai Thai and you’ll feel your shoulders start to relax, drinking in Hamilton Island‘s tropical lifestyle. 

Grab a book and plant yourself on a deckchair, taking a refreshing dip in Hamilton Island’s Main Pool as you glide over to the thatched roof tropical bar for a top-up. 

Hamilton Island’s Main Pool Bar is more than just swim-up bar nirvana, it beholds a paradise of views overlooking the ocean with luscious mountain scapes lined with tropical greenery. 

Take a dip in the pool from sunrise to sunset, with the bar open daily from 11am – 4pm.  

2. Barefoot Bar at Daydream Island Resort  

The clue is in this island’s name, Daydream Island Resort & Living Reef is the kind of holiday destination that postcards are made of. 

The resort’s recent refurbishment has the island looking even dreamier than before, with three new restaurants, a burger shack, and three new bars, including the Barefoot Bar - the island’s resident swim-up bar.  

Top yourself up with a refreshing mojito or have the bartenders whip up a fruity cocktail concoction to paddle back to your sun lounger. 

Order an ice cream from the poolside bar, open from 10am – 5pm, and let the hours pass you by in utter relaxation mode. 

If you do happen to remove yourself from the pool to explore a few more bodies of water, Daydream Island is the jewel in the crown when it comes to reef access within The Whitsundays.  

The resort’s latest attraction, The Living Reef, is a free-form coral lagoon that wraps around the main building, meaning you don’t even have to leave the resort to explore its ocean wonders.  

3. Aqua Bar and Restaurant at the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort  

Alrighty pool cabana lovers, this one’s for you.  

You’ll find the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort’s Aqua Bar and Restaurant by their main pool.  

Open 11am – 6pm, Aqua Bar serves up vacation-worthy cocktails that’ll make your biggest decision of the day whether to order a coral sea spritz, a Hayman caprioska, or the mixologist’s daily special.  

Stay in one of the resort’s pool villas and take your afternoon dip with a side of margarita, just a few strokes away. 

Score yourself a pool cabana, keeping in the shade while dining in comfort ordering seasonal salads, seafood share plates, and burgers to your reclined position.  

Let’s be honest, nothing shouts I’m on holidays quite like a poolside plate of pacific oysters with lemon and ginger mignonette, a mojito, a fresh coconut, and a backdrop of ocean views.  

4. The Rocks Restaurant, Bar, and Pool Club 

While it’s not quite your island-style swim-up bar, the Coral Sea Resort Hotel’s restaurant, bar, and pool club – The Rocks is worthy of a mention.  

Nestled on the water’s edge of Airlie Beach, this poolside bar serves up a fusion of Instagram-worthy cocktails, from pina coladas to frozen daiquiris.  

Feeling peckish? Order a share plate or two off their menu featuring coconut prawns and sashimi market fish. If you’re after something a little more filling the coral sea seafood platter for two will do you just fine.  

Hang around on a Sunday for their poolside Sunday sessions with live DJs hitting the deck from 1pm.  

With a year-round temperature average of 27 degrees, a poolside holiday in The Whitsundays warm, tropical climate is always on the cards.  

Slip on your bathers, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat, and slide on your sunnies, there’s pool days on the horizon.