Looking for something different to do this weekend in Cairns. Why not visit this years award winning heritage site, Paronella Park. Nestled in the rainforest of the Atherton tablelands, this ruin of a Spanish castle provides an element of magic and history that can often be missed out in trips by Cairns backpackers.

Paronella Park was designed and built by a Spanish immigrant  in the 1930’s. Originally it housed the theater, musuem, ball room, and several other areas for social gathering. This is beyond the wonderful gardens and parks that surround the structure. Over the years however, the castle had to endure many of the same hardships faced by settlers to tropical North Queensland, including fire, floods, and cyclones.

Recently reopening to the public, Paronella Park is the perfect place to see both the beauty of the rainforest and the determination of the immigrants who came to settle in this region. Cairns backpackers can explore the sprawling grounds as part of several different tours to the Atherton Tablelands. The park is especially nice for those couples travelling together who could use a romantic escape form the normal backpacking chaos.

For more information about getting to Paronella Park and the Atherton Tablelands or maybe other ideas for travel around Queensland, come see the friendly staff at Nomads Cairns Backpackers Hostel.

Related posts:

1. Travel with On the Wallaby Adventures and explore the Atherton Tablelands
2. Don’t spend a rainy day inside your dorm- Visit the Tanks Art Centre for a Unique Cairns Experience
3. Explore Australia’s Aboriginal Culture with a Visit to Tjapukai
4. Take a Stroll through the Cairns Botanical Gardens
5. Relax at Kuranda with the Skyrail and Scenic Train in Cairns