Manly Guide
Manly is an iconic Sydney beach suburb located on the north side of Sydney Harbour. Restaurants, cafes, hotels, shopping and more make up this northern beaches suburb.
On one side of Manly is the famous surf beach, and on the other is Manly Cove in Sydney Harbour. Manly Wharf juts out into Manly Cove: Manly ferry services run to and from downtown Circular Quay from early morning to late evening. The ferry makes its way from Manly Cove through the North Harbour, across the ‘heads', and then down the middle of the Harbour before sliding past the Opera House into Circular Quay. This is one of the great experiences in Sydney.
Manly Wharf itself is home to restaurants including Hugo's and Manly Phoenix, and is also a great location for waterfront and evening drinks at the Bavarian Bier Cafe or the Manly Wharf Hotel.
Venture further into Manly for a swim at Manly beach. Take a surfing lesson, enjoy a bodysurf - between the flags please - or simply enjoy a stroll along The Corso. Take the ocean front walk to the secluded and intimate Shelly Beach: the restaurant is a great option for a daytime beachside lunch.
There are countless restaurants running along The Corso, the beachfront in Manly Cove and throughout central Manly. As the weather warms up, waterfront and sidewalk dining are the norm. Manly offers a broad variety of cuisines from Moroccan favourite Out of Africa, to the authentic flavours of Chat Thai and the tapas at Jah Bah. And every October you can combine the beach and culinary Manly experience with the raw tones of jazz at one of Australia's leading Jazz festivals.
There's no shortage of watering holes in Manly. Aside from the bars at Manly Wharf, there are pubs and bars all around the beachside suburb. A local classic is the Hotel Steyne: it's a local in the old school sense, is just across the road from the beach and is near countless restaurants on The Corso. There's also a selection of bars including the 4 Pines Brewing Co microbrewery, Manly Wine and In Situ.
Manly is a good location to go diving, kayaking or as the starting point for sailing around the harbour. And you can also visit Oceanworld Manly to see magnificent underwater wonders and daily shows with sharks, crocodiles and the most poisonous snakes and spiders. Oceanworld is just a short walk from the ferry wharf.
North of Manly but only a short distance away are Freshwater beach, one of Sydney's great swimming beaches - and Curl Curl, a beach well known for great surfing. And it's not far from Pittwater: for something different hire a boat on Pittwater for the day and sail up the beautiful Hawkesbury River.
Manly is a great location to stay on a visit to Sydney. Everything in the suburb is within walking distance, it's a beachside holiday feel, and the CBD is just a gloriously scenic ferry ride away. There's a broad range of accommodation options including budget, guest houses, serviced apartments and leading hotels. And it's also a great location from which to visit Sydney's northern beaches including Dee Why, Collaroy, Narrabeen, Mona Vale, Bilgola, Newport, Avalon, Whale and Palm Beach (the filming location of Home and Away fictional beach Summer Bay).