Manly Beach, Sydney

We arrived at Manely in our travel clothes about 4pm. After walking barefooted on the beach we enjoyed an ice cream and poked about in the shops. As all beach areas have personality Manely seemed to be a fun metro beach. Not too crowded, with lots of choice in restauraunts and shops. It was not close to where we stayed , we found that the driving in Sydney was tiresome and difficult. In fact for a future trip I hope to skip the driving altogether and just use the train which were on time and easily accessible. Cheers!

I went to Austalia on a 1 year working visa from Canada. I got to Manly my first day, found some brazillian roommates, found a job and stayed for the entire year in this INCREDIBLE, close to city, filled with opportunities, and a great party beach town. Lots of Travellers yet lots of locals who pride on bringing their children up in this unique gem out of all the Northern beaches. I travelled all over Australia and nothing offered me what Manly did. TRAVEL OZ AND STAY IN MANLY BEACH!

This beach is breathtakingly beautiful. The water is unbelievable shades of blue, green, and blue-green. When I show people pictures, I have to tell them that yes, the color is accurate which always gets a gasp. It was surprisinlgy quiet for the number of people. It was, however, by no means crowded. There was room to walk and sit or put a towel down. The cliffs that bookend this beach are incredible. The horizon was all sailboats and surfers. I also got to watch the replica of the Bounty they have in Sydney on the horizon and watch it disappear behind one of the cliffs. It was a great image. And yes, since they are not as repressed as the States, there are some nude sunbathers. Frankly, I only saw one girl who was topless and in jeans, but it didn't even rate a rubberneck from anyone. If that's a concern of anyone's, I would avoid all non-US beaches. Everyone was very respectful of everyone else's space. There were no loud radios or any cigarette smoke going up your nose, unlike Jersey beaches. And I didn't see a scrap of trash anywhere. It made me want to be a beach girl.

well...it was reali fun there!!!first time at the beach since i arrived there in sydney!!reali nice..altho there were a couple of nude people..hehehe...i enjoyed the nice sun lying on the beach..its a very friendly place to meet new people..anyone will enjoy it..a lot of shops around!!

Far more interesting (and cleaner) than Bondi. A great day out from City Centre. Take the ferry (you'll see everything which is on the very expensive Harbour Cruises for a fraction of the cost) and just wander around little shops and chill out of the beach. Very attractive walk from the South end of the beach up to a headland look out.

Manly is the best place outside of the city centre. It is much more relaxed than Bondi and Coogee. I lived there for 2 months whilst travelling, and would go back at the drop of a hat. Must do's- Spit to Manly walk, go round to Shelly beach, which is opposite the main beach on Manly and have a sunset bbq and go to the Steyne pub and have a true aussie pint and watch the sea and the world go by!

It's not really a cool beach. If you like to people watch, then this is a good place to go. The shops on the walk were ok. Not really the best thing to do. If you have kids, don't take them here.