How do you get to Manly Beach from Sydney?
The classic way to reach Manly Beach is the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. The scenic harbour trip takes about 30 minutes, with faster boats also available.
The ferry passes the Sydney Opera House, Fort Denison and the harbour headlands before arriving at Manly Wharf. From the wharf, a pedestrian street called The Corso leads straight to the ocean beach, lined with Norfolk Island pines.
Manly got its name from Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788. He was impressed by the confident, manly behaviour of the local Aboriginal men he met there. Today the suburb is one of Sydney's most popular beach destinations.
Around Manly
Shelly Beach, a short walk away, is a sheltered cove within the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, good for snorkelling among fish and wobbegong sharks. North Head offers lookouts over the harbour entrance and the historic Quarantine Station.
The Manly to Spit Bridge walk, about ten kilometres long, follows harbour bays and bushland. Manly is also a surfing hub, and the first surfboard demonstrations in Australia are linked to nearby Freshwater Beach in 1914 or 1915.
Did You Know?
Ferries have carried passengers between the city and Manly since the 1850s.