# Where to stay at Manly Beach, Sydney URL: https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/manly/ · Region: Northern Beaches · Facts checked: 2026-10-09 A long, flat ocean beach on a narrow strip of land, with the ferry wharf on the harbour side. Almost everything in town is a few minutes from the sand. The places that aren’t are up on the headlands. Stay anywhere on the flat between the wharf and the beach and you are one to five minutes from the sand. When we checked, hostel beds were $73–$100 a night and beachfront hotels $137–$296. The outliers sold as “Manly” are up in Fairlight and at Q Station on North Head: 14–27 minutes, with a 50–110 m climb home. At a glance: 17 km north-east of the CBD · ferry 22–30 min from Circular Quay · flags all year at South Steyne · shark nets 1 Sep – 31 Mar. ## Manly is flat. Its edges aren’t. The town sits on a low neck of land between the harbour and the ocean. The Corso runs straight across it, about 500 m from the ferry wharf to the beach, and the hotels, hostels and apartments in between are all on the flat. Climb out of that strip and it changes. Fairlight rises to the west and North Head to the south-east. The guesthouses in Fairlight and Q Station, the old quarantine station on North Head, came up in the same searches as the beachfront and were sold under the same name. The walking routes put them 1.1–2.2 km from the sand, with a 50–110 m climb home. ## Places to stay near Manly Beach Walk = walking time and distance (not driving) along the walking route from the property to the nearest sand, at 4.8 km/h. Climb = uphill on the walk home (90 m elevation model, rounded to 5 m). Price band = one nightly price seen on Google Maps on 2026-10-09 ($ under $100, $$ $100–199, $$$ $200–349, $$$$ $350+). Nobody paid to be listed. | Place | Type | Walk | Route | Climb home | Nearest end | Price band | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Hotel Steyne | Hotel | 1 min | 49 m | 0 m | south end | $$ | | Peppers Manly Beach | Hotel | 1 min | 91 m | 5 m | south end | $$$ | | The Sebel Sydney Manly Beach | Hotel | 1 min | 97 m | 5 m | south end | not checked | | Manly Shores Holiday Apartments | Apartments | 1 min | 116 m | 0 m | middle | not checked | | Boardrider Backpacker & Budget Motel | Hostel | 2 min | 131 m | 0 m | south end | $ | | Manly Waves Hotel | Hotel | 2 min | 171 m | 0 m | north end | $$ | | Manly Paradise Motel & Apartments | Hotel | 2 min | 176 m | 5 m | south end | $$ | | Elysium Manly | Hotel | 3 min | 241 m | 5 m | south end | $$$ | | Manly Beach Holiday & Executive Apartments | Apartments | 4 min | 305 m | 5 m | south end | not checked | | Manly Bunkhouse | Hostel | 4 min | 310 m | 0 m | middle | not checked | | 101 Addison Road Bed & Breakfast | Guesthouse | 4 min | 336 m | 30 m | south end | not checked | | Manly Beach Guesthouse | Guesthouse | 4 min | 353 m | 0 m | middle | $$ | | Stoke Beach House, Manly | Hostel | 5 min | 364 m | 5 m | south end | $$ | | Lotus Stay Manly Apartments | Apartments | 5 min | 369 m | 0 m | middle | not checked | | Cecil Street B&B Manly | Guesthouse | 14 min | 1130 m | 50 m | south end | not checked | | Fairlight Gardens | Guesthouse | 22 min | 1734 m | 70 m | south end | not checked | | Q Station Manly | Hotel | 27 min | 2123 m | 110 m | south end | $$ | ## Which end of the beach - **North end.** Queenscliff and North Steyne: quieter and more residential, with the Norfolk pines along the promenade. Council lifeguards patrol it from October to April. Manly Waves is a couple of minutes back from the sand here. - **Middle.** The Corso meets the beach at South Steyne. Shops, cafés and pubs line it all the way back to the wharf. Hotel Steyne is on the corner, and Boardrider, Manly Paradise and Elysium are within a few minutes along the beachfront. - **South end.** The flags stay up here all year. Past the surf club, the path follows Marine Parade for about 1 km to Shelly Beach, through Cabbage Tree Bay, a no-take aquatic reserve where snorkelling and diving are allowed. Peppers and The Sebel face this end. ## How to get to Manly - **From the city.** Take the ferry from Circular Quay. The regular Manly ferry and the faster private service both land at Manly Wharf, on the harbour side; walk the Corso, about 500 m, to the ocean beach. Buses run too, but the ferry is quicker and the trip is half the point. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Manly Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Beach); [Transport NSW trip planner](https://transportnsw.info/trip)) - **From the airport.** About 28 km by road. By public transport it’s the train to the city and the ferry from Circular Quay. Most people with luggage take a taxi or rideshare. - **From Bondi or Coogee.** They’re on the other side of the harbour. Allow well over an hour by public transport, through the city and on the ferry. ## Is Manly Beach safe? - **Is Manly Beach patrolled?** Yes, all year at South Steyne, the southern end. Northern Beaches Council lifeguards patrol North Steyne and Queenscliff from October to April, and volunteers from the surf clubs patrol on weekends in the season. Swim between the red and yellow flags. (Sources: [Northern Beaches Council, 5 June 2025](https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/council/news/single-service-beach-safety-across-northern-beaches); [Wikipedia: Manly Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Beach)) - **Does Manly have shark nets?** Yes, from 1 September to 31 March. Nets reduce the risk; they don’t make an enclosure. Shark-spotting drones also fly over Sydney’s ocean beaches. (Sources: [SharkSmart NSW: Shark nets](https://www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au/shark-nets); [NSW Government, 30 Aug 2026](https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/extra-shark-surveillance-coming)) - **Water quality after rain** Stormwater runs onto the beach after heavy rain. Check Beachwatch for the daily pollution forecast before you swim. (Sources: [NSW Beachwatch](https://www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/)) ## Is Manly good for kids? - Swim at South Steyne: the flags are up there all year. - Shelly Beach, about 1 km south along the water, is sheltered and usually calmer than the main beach. - The whole town is flat between the wharf and the beach, so a pram is easy anywhere on the strip. ## The downsides - The crowds. Summer weekends bring the day-trippers off every ferry. - Distance from the rest of Sydney. Manly is great on its own, but Bondi, Coogee and the city sights mean a ferry ride each way. - Hotel Steyne, on the corner of the Corso, is a big pub as well as a hotel. If you’re a light sleeper anywhere near it, ask for a room facing away from the bars. - Outside the season, only South Steyne has flags. Walk south to swim. ## FAQ ### Is Manly Beach safe to swim? Swim between the flags. South Steyne is patrolled all year; North Steyne and Queenscliff from October to April. Manly has a shark net from 1 September to 31 March. Check Beachwatch after heavy rain. (Sources: [Northern Beaches Council, 5 June 2025](https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/council/news/single-service-beach-safety-across-northern-beaches); [Wikipedia: Manly Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Beach); [SharkSmart NSW: Shark nets](https://www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au/shark-nets); [NSW Beachwatch](https://www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/)) ### Is Manly Beach patrolled in winter? Yes, at South Steyne. Northern Beaches Council lifeguards patrol there all year; the other sections are patrolled from October to April. (Sources: [Northern Beaches Council, 5 June 2025](https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/council/news/single-service-beach-safety-across-northern-beaches); [Wikipedia: Manly Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Beach)) ### How long is the ferry to Manly? 22 to 30 minutes from Circular Quay. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Manly Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Beach)) ### How far is Manly from Sydney CBD? About 17 km north-east of the CBD by road; much less as the ferry crosses the harbour. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Manly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly,_New_South_Wales)) ### Where can you snorkel in Manly? Cabbage Tree Bay, between Manly Beach and Shelly Beach. It’s a no-take aquatic reserve, so there’s no fishing, but snorkelling and diving are allowed. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_Tree_Bay_Aquatic_Reserve)) ### Is it better to stay in Manly or Bondi? Manly if you want a flat, walkable beach town with the ferry as your commute; Bondi if you want the coastal walk and the eastern suburbs on your doorstep. They’re on opposite sides of the harbour. ## Nearby beaches - [Freshwater](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/freshwater/): the next beach north, past Queenscliff - [Dee Why](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/dee-why/): further up the Northern Beaches - [Shelly Beach](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/shelly-beach/): about 1 km south along Marine Parade Ask a local: enquiries@sydneybeachside.com.au