As Australia's first seaside resort, surrounded on three sides by water, there is a virtual guarantee that either the ocean or magnificent Sydney Harbour will feature prominently in any visit to Manly.

It is Manly's many natural attributes that make it such an attraction for visitors, such as the surfing beaches, from Manly to Queenscliff, which make up 1.5 kilometres of oceanfront while Shelly Beach to the south is one of the east coast's only west-facing beaches. There are also 12 other beaches in the Manly area, all of which are located on the harbour.

But as the locals know, Manly is more than Sydney's premier beach resort. Come by sea or road and take some time to discover its rich heritage and culture, its great shopping, dining and family attractions - it's well worth the trip.

Due to its strategic position at the entry to Sydney Harbour, Manly has also been used for military and maritime security and as a result has a superb range of heritage and historic buildings.

Surrounded by three National Parks and the Manly Maritime Reserve, home to a rare colony of fairy penguins, seahorses, weedy sea dragons, turtles, pelicans, cormorants and more than 550 species of fish, Manly is truly a nature lover's paradise. Especially as other regular visitors include southern right whales, seals and dolphins. Popular too, are the National Parks and harbour beaches for walks and picnics with their abundance of native flora and fauna.

The local area also has a range of attractions including surf and harbour beaches, Oceanworld, Shark Dive X-Treme, Manly Wharf, North Fort, and much much more.

Getting Here

Sydney Ferries’ famous Manly Ferry is a "must do" for visitors and makes the 30 minute trip regularly, day and night. Sydney Ferries other commuter service is the Manly Jetcat which takes 15 minutes.

Sydney Buses thoroughly service Manly and it's surrounding areas. Travel time to and from the city ranges from about 30 - 45 minutes.