Manly Beach, Beach in Manly, Australia.

Manly Beach is a wide stretch of pale sand on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, running from Queenscliff in the north through North Steyne to South Steyne in the south. Small wooden buildings with pitched roofs stand near a low wooden fence at the back of the sand, with a thin line of tall trees behind them. The Corso, the pedestrian street from the ferry wharf, meets the beach and marks the boundary between North Steyne and South Steyne.

Captain Arthur Phillip named the cove for the local Aboriginal people, writing that their confidence and manly behaviour led him to call it Manly Cove. The Corso now runs from the ferry wharf across the peninsula to the beach, where it marks the boundary between North Steyne and South Steyne.

The name comes from an early governor's reaction to the confident bearing of the local Aboriginal people he encountered here. Today families picnic on the grass along the foreshore while groups of children and adults learn to surf through organised lifeguard programs.

Access is by ferry from Circular Quay, which takes around 30 minutes, followed by a short walk through a pedestrian mall. Swimming flags mark safe areas, and it is advisable to swim only between these flags as currents can be strong at either end.

The bay at the southern end holds more than 200 fish species in a protected marine reserve, including blue gropers that grow larger than a metre. Visitors can snorkel and observe these fish just a few metres from shore without needing a boat or diving gear.