Manly: Beach, coastal walks and culture

Manly brings together a long sandy beach, a coastal reserve, walking tracks with different focuses and an art museum. When choosing a hotel, what interests you most about the trip may be a deciding factor: time at the beach, a walk along the coast, or art and beach history. You can plan around specific interests—for example, a particular stretch of beach, coastal walks of different lengths or a cultural program.

Manly Beach and its stretches of sand

Manly Beach is a two-kilometre-long sandy beach lined with Norfolk pines. It stretches from South Steyne through North Steyne to Queenscliff; North Steyne is the middle section. An underwater reef, known as the Bombora, creates waves that are popular with top surfers. At Manly Beach, swimmers are advised to swim between the red and yellow flags; these areas are patrolled by lifeguards. Check the current beach notices before swimming.

The middle section, North Steyne, also has volleyball nets, surfboard hire, cafés and other facilities. If these amenities matter to your beach plans, note that facilities and surfboard hire availability may change.

Coastal scenery and walking tracks

The approximately 20-hectare Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve includes rocky coastline and beaches from the southern end of Manly Beach to the northern end of Shelly Beach. The two ends of the beaches help define the extent of the reserve, which also explicitly includes rocky coastline. This means the coastal landscape extends beyond sandy beaches alone.

The Shelly Beach Walk begins at Manly Surf Club. Sculptures along the way offer insights into marine life, animals and the history of Cabbage Tree Bay. If you’d also like to explore these themes on your walk, the route offers a direct connection to them.

The Cabbage Tree Bay Coastal Walk is a two-kilometre, wheelchair- and pram-friendly beachfront walk. Check local notices for temporary access changes. The Manly Scenic Walkway runs for more than ten kilometres from Manly to Spit Bridge and offers views of the harbour entrance. The two- and ten-kilometre distances provide a clear comparison if you want to choose a route based on distance. Also check current local notices before setting out.

Art and culture in Manly

The Manly Art Gallery & Museum in Manly Cove presents cultural programs and displays extensive collections of Australian visual art and beach ephemera. This adds a cultural focus to the beach and coastal walks. The art collections and the beach-related ephemera offer a different perspective on Manly from its walking tracks and viewpoints. If you don’t want to base your trip solely around time by the water, you can also include this museum in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Bankstown City, Maroubra, Lane Cove, Artarmon, Wollstonecraft, Cronulla, Engadine, Arcadia

For the broader travel overview: Sydney.