Paronella Park
A magical castle surrounded by lush tropical rainforest.
Overview
In the 1930s a Spanish pastry chef moved to Tropical North Queensland to build a castle in the rainforest. Think that sounds like something out of a movie? Well, this is a true story. Alongside his new bride Margarita, José Paronella created this fairytale paradise, complete with luxuries such as a tennis court, movie theatre and a glittering ballroom. Paronella planted more than 7000 trees on the grounds, created an artificial lake and built a swinging bridge to hang above the park's very own waterfall.
Almost a century later, Paronella Park has taken on a dreamlike quality with a soft layer of bright green moss coating the handmade castle. Explore the sprawling parkland via a 30-minute guided tour filled with wildlife spotting, fish feeding and a historical storytelling of the park. Your entry fee helps fund the continued restoration of this heritage-listed site and is valid for two years so you can experience the magic time and time again.
Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
