Manly

Beautiful Manly is a place where anyone and everyone can feel welcome. On Sunday mornings the beach bursts into colour as hundreds of children start surf life saving training (lovingly called nippers). Weekends are also market days and just off The Corso (main street) is where you will find them, look for other markets elsewhere on this site. As a result, at weekends Manly can get quite crowded, so as you are on holiday, go there on a weekday, use the beach for walks, beach volleyball, or to sunbake (just don't forget the SPF30 Sunscreen.

What's there?

Manly has a huge number of parks and open spaces, some with absolutely breathtaking views. North Head, the Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walk and Shelly Beach (popular with SCUBA divers). For more information on this go to the Activities.

 

Manly is well serviced by public transport, is a hive of activity and the social centre of Sydney’s north shore with its pubs, cafes, restaurants, and music and iron man festivals.

A visit to Manly by ferry is a quintessential Sydney experience. It's a 30-minute spectacular ferry ride from Circular Quay and nestled between a tranquil inner-harbour beach on one side and a  Pacific Ocean surf beach on the other.

The palm-tree lined Corso leads you onto the Steyne promenade, where you can walk, roller-blade or cycle along the oceanfront. There are also a number of scenic walking routes that link the beaches with the national park.

Things to see and do

Travel across Sydney Harbour from Circular Quay by ferry or jetcat   Explore the Manly to Spit Bridge scenic walkway, which meanders through native bushland in a coastal setting Eat at one of many restaurants and cafés with harbour or ocean views    Take a dip at the ocean surf beach or at one of the tranquil inner harbour beaches    Hire a bike and ride along the dedicated bike track to Fairy Bower or take a bike tour and you'll learn about Manly's history    Take scuba-diving lessons at Cabbage Tree Bay    Dive with sharks at Manly Oceanworld    Visit the Q-Station to catch a glimpse of Australia's early immigration history while enjoying spectacular harbour views    Check out the coolest surf shops in Australia.

BOOK Activities in Manly

Northern beaches and Pittwater

What's there?

Heading north from the city you'll find the beautiful stretch of coast from Manly to Palm Beach, known as the Northern Beaches. With the Pacific Ocean on one side and Pittwater on the other, the peninsula covers about 18km of open coastline with great seaside dining, surf beaches, waterways and boatsheds. On the other side of Pittwater is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, which has pockets of rainforest with a river, creeks, waterfalls and Aboriginal rock art.

Things to see and do

Join a ferry at Palm Beach or Church Point to explore the secluded bays   Learn to sail or charter a yacht on picturesque Pittwater and the Hawkesbury River    Hit the surf wherever you like – popular surf breaks line the coast    Take a seaplane trip from Rose Bay to Whale Beach, then enjoy a delicious lunch and spectacular views    Enjoy a coastal walk in the area with views from dramatic headlands and beautiful beaches    Take a Sunday tour of the Barrenjoey Lighthouse, made famous by the Home and Away TV series    Lunch at the Newport Arms Hotel, with one of the best - and biggest - waterfront beer gardens in Australia Play a round of golf at one of six golf courses    Visit the Bahai Temple, one of only seven in the world.