Probably one of my favorite beaches in Sydney. During my semester abroad way back when I'd enjoy…read morestrolling through Manly all the way to lesser known Freshwater beach. Sometimes I head through the lovely cliff side neighborhoods just walk along the cliff. I'd often find my self hanging out here for hours. Sometimes at the beach or sitting on the cliffs studying for school. There's a special connection to this beach to where I currently live in Hawaii. This is where Duke Kahanamoku, Olympian, politician, surfer, spreader of Aloha introduced Surfing to Australia. Inside the Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club there is a little memorial for the Duke with pictures, trophies, and his original wooden board he took to Australia. If you head up the stairs above the salt water pool there is an overgrown little park with a statue of the Duke Kahanamoku surfing on a boulder facing Freshwater beach. It's definitely a cool spot for anyone visiting from Hawaii. It's a great beach too with dramatic picturesque landscape. Ideally probably one of my top dream Neighborhoods to reside one day.

Once again, Freshie is one of my favorite beaches. It draws locals and not the chaos of tourist and…read moresurfers.

Went early in the morning being one of the firsts on the beach. High tide day so there was very…read morelittle sand available for lounging so we retreated to the rocks. It was a gorgeous sunny day with the water feeling refreshing. We left close to noon just as more people started showing up. Will go again if I ever have the opportunity to return to Australia.

I think the days of believing that nudist beaches are a hotbed of blonde beauties flaunting their…read moreperfect physiques are loooooong gone. And if you needed any clarification of this, head to Lady Bay Beach in Watsons Bay. I've never quite worked out if this is technically a gay nudist beach, or whether it just happens to be populated by ageing naked guys, with large guts, most of the time. The beach itself isn't too bad, I've never ventured down to spend an afternoon on it, but you can see it quite clearly from the path that leads to South Head (and it tends to be quite a pretty sight, except when there are people on it!). I've not really considered nudism as a potential activity, but that's mainly due to the fact that I get annoyed when I get sunburnt shoulders, imagine getting sunbu- ... never mind. If you're trying to get around the beaches of Sydney on your travels, I think you'd be better off hitting up Camp Cove just down the path, it's a much more pleasant setting!

This sheltered beach is a great place for families due to its small, manageable size, and its…read morerelatively calm surf that makes it an attractive beach for those who love to swim. Many people come here to participate in watersports, so you will see many windsurfers, kayakers, and swimmers when you visit. There's also a shaded playground located behind the beach, which offers a great place for kids to play if they get tired of swimming or building sandcastles at the beach. It doesnt have the crowds that Balmoral Beach can get but on the rare occasion can be busy. Come and relax at Chinamens away from the maddening crowd.

If you love to swim in the ocean, then this is the beach for you. If you love to play ball in the…read moreocean, you can't go past this place. If you love to soak up the rays, Chinamans Beach is the answer - it's always the answer. There is plenty of room on the sand and in the water - the only crowding you get is battling the traffic along Military Rd in Neutral Bay and Mosman to get to this gem of a beach ... sooo bring your Webber, throw on some prawns, slice up a frozen watermelon and enjoy our Sydney summer days.

Our original plan was to go to Bondi Beach but so many locals said Manly Beach was nicer so we…read moreheaded there. So easy to get to, we walked to the ferry from our hotel and got a direct boat to the Manly harbor. A couple of blocks walk and you are on the beach. The weather was not all that great for swimming so we watched the surfers for a bit then headed on the trail that takes you out to the North Head and Burragula lookout. The sights and paths along the way are beautiful. We saw an echidna moseying along the way which was cool.

With the construction from Sydney, the drive was less than ideal. Manly Beach was clean but not as…read morebeautiful as I thought it would. There are restrooms. Also in walking distance are numerous shops and restaurants.

Quality/Quantity - What a cool place to hang out!…read moreGlad we came on a Monday, but still crazy busy. Fairly Bower Rock Pool - Cool! Check out the pictures, as usual the pictures do NOT do the pool and area justice. Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve. Manly Scenic Walkways - Do remember that "freak" waves can come any time and hit you while walking the pathway. Small cafe; I did not visit. Good for scuba diving and snorkeling - A maximum depth of 12 meters. We saw many classes out there teaching and training locals and tourists. Atmosphere - Lizard and bird (turkey) friendly, see pictures. Art, statues, educational information, etc. along the walking paths. Pedestrian friendly, no/restricted bikes allowed on many paths. In the main town, there is plenty of shopping, eating, and people watching. Pay parking lots. Service - Quick easy ferry from and to Manly. Much easier than driving. Express ferries are also available for a little more $$. "Smart beach" - See picture for definition. There are public toilets and showers, but there was a long line the entire time we were there. So they need more... Price - Beach - Free. Everything else is tourist prices, LOL. Owner Comment - Thanks for such a great visit!

A little bit of a walk from Manly beach. Just follow the sea wall. It's a lot calmer for swimming,…read moresnorkeling, just getting your toes wet. The area between the two beaches is a protested reef. So be mindful. The sand did have bit of shells and ocean debris. There was also some beer caps floating around, so just be wary where you walk. If you're looking for a nice shaded spot, bring your own or relax by the side where the trees are. The do have public showers, toilets, rinse off area and a filtered water station. Plus a nice beachside cafe for your dinning pleasures. Took a lot of great photos, but do respect the signs and the law. And clean up after yourselves.

The Cabbage Tree Bay Eco Sculpture Walk is located along the Manly Scenic Walkway, along the end…read moreclosest to Shelly Beach. I loved the metal sculptures that were set along the rocky wall. Most were well labeled and consisted of local creatures and swimmers and snorkelers enjoying water activities.

I walked from Little Manly to Collins Flat Beach and it was really nice. Lots of look out points…read moreand benches at the start, once you're past jump rock though it's a bit harder to go along and no more stops.

Small but lovely beach with great view through the heads out to sea. Great outdoor pool and…read morefabulous place to hang out away from the crowds in manly.

The locals will probably hate me for telling you about this one, but only a short stroll around the…read morebay from the ferry terminal, there is a beach which is a hidden little treat. It sits at the bottom of the eerily well-kept lawns of some of Manly's apartment buildings and so is far more serene and untouristy than the more well-known nearby beach on Steyne. It's seemingly very geared towards this clean family vibe as there's even a very pretty outdoor pool craftily built into the rocks around the bay, a massive bonus if you've got the swimming abilities of a toddler without armbands...like me, as well as strict signs and outdoor showers. This is proper and professional beach going if ever I saw it!

Or otherwise known as Fairlight Beach it has to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Sydney…read more The only thing is getting a proper place to swim off from as sometimes being here at low tide it can get a bit rocky on the feet walking into the shore so I try and swim off the rocks. Smart people use the ocean pool. I love how the walkway curves around the beach and around Fairlight to Manly Pavillion this has to be one of the most spectacular walks in the world.Oh and the snorkelling is fantastic as well. If you are a visitor to our shores this beach is a must visit.

If Lara Bingle was a beach, she'd be Camp Cove…read more Of course, we're talking the fresh-faced, brown-skinned, salt-tinged Lara Bingle of yesteryear though, before she got commercial and dated cricketers with dicky backs and Hollywood, ahem, stars. Back then Lara was young and happy and carefree. She didn't have any big problems like a crappy reality show, she was blissful and sun-kissed and fun to hang out with, she had no pretentions and was small but really gorgeous and she had some great rockwalks and a little kiosk at one end. And sure, parking was tough but it was always worth it. I LOVE YOU LARA BINGLE. YOU ARE THE TASTE OF SUMMER.

Bon, je l'avoue, je suis très difficile en matière de plage... Je n'aime pas quand c'est trop…read moretouristique (coucou Bondi), j'aime bien quand le sable est pas trop cracra, et plus l'eau est transparente, mieux je me porte (reloue, vous avez dit reloue ?). C'est pourquoi maintenant que j'ai trouvé Camp Cove, je compte en faire ma plage number one. Située à Watsons Bay (j'habite Vaucluse, c'est donc assez prêt de la maison, en plus !), quartier que j'adore-mon-dieu-donne-moi-une-maison-la-bas, Camp Cove est une plage assez bien cachée. A ne pas confondre avec l'étendue de sable au port de Watsons Bay, Camp Cove se situe à 10 minutes max du port. Et si vous vous aventurez dans les environs du parc national juste à côté, vous aurez une vue magnifique de la skyline de Sydney. Amateurs de surf s'abstenir, ici il n'y a pas de vagues. Amateurs de natation, cet endroit est fait pour vous. ------------------------------------ I've something to tell you, I'm pretty tricky about beaches... I don't like when there is too many tourists (yes, I'm French, so a little bit a tourist, but I avoid Bondi as much as I can), I love when the sand is clear and when the water isn't too dirty (This is me, helllloooo). That's why, when I discovered Camp Cove, which is pretty closed to my house, I can tell you it's my beach number one ! I really love Watsons Bay, the warf, Beach Club, the view, and now I can add Camp Cove, which is pretty well hidden. You have to walk like 10 minutes from the warf, and just enjoy this amazing place ! You can also have a walk closed to the beach in the National Park and have a wonderful view to Sydney's skyline ;) Surfers, sorry, this place is too calm for you ! Swimmers, what are you waiting to go there ?