Great Barrier Reef: No Coastline, No Hotels

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, stretching over 2,300 km off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea. It comprises nearly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands, but the reef itself has no coastline—it is an offshore marine ecosystem. Consequently, there are no hotels "along its coastline." Accommodations are found on the mainland coast (Cairns, Port Douglas, Airlie Beach) or on resort islands within the reef (e.g., Hamilton Island, Lizard Island). Visitors access the reef by boat for snorkeling, diving, and scenic flights.