To the west of Palm Cove is the Macalister Range National Park which is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Immediately after landing a large number of Aboriginal people came out of their camps, and attempted to prevent the groups passage to the lagoon.

[10] Shortly before World War I in 1918, the land that is today Palm Cove was bought by Albert Veivers from Archdeacon Campbell.

The creation of the road led property values in Palm Cove to increase dramatically, leading to more prosperity for the community.

[11] In 2024, Palm Cove was rated no.1 "Best Beach in the World" by Condé Nast Traveler, who described it as the "epitome of a tropical paradise".

Palm Cove is also a tourist destination due to its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

[17] The pristine beaches and palm tree lined paths are used by joggers, walkers and cyclists and netted life guard patrol swimming enclosures offer safe access to the sea all year round.

The Palm Cove jetty is one of the regions most popular fishing spots where anglers regularly catch species such as mackerel, Giant Trevally or "G.T's" and shark.

The only method of direct transportation to Palm Cove is along the Captain Cook Highway which stretches from Cairns in the south to Mossman in the north.