Top Things to do in Northern Beaches
Top Hotels in Northern Beaches
- 1. Travelodge Hotel Manly Warringah Sydney
- 2. Manly Pacific
- 3. Quest Manly
- 4. The Sebel Manly Beach
- 5. Manly Paradise Motel & Apartments
- 6. Q Station Sydney Harbour National Park Hotel
- 7. NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park
- 8. Miramare Gardens
- 9. Checkers Resort & Conference Centre
- 10. The Outback Lodge
What to do and see in Northern Beaches, New South Wales: The Best Free Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in Northern Beaches, Australia including Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Curl Curl to Freshwater Beach Coastal Walk, Dee Why Headland walk, Sophie Tea Art, Shelly Beach, Avalon Beach, McKillop Park, Queenscliff Beach, Mona Vale Beach, North Head Sanctuary.
Restaurants in Northern Beaches
1. Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By mrdom
At least of the places I've been. All the way from Shelly Beach (a great beach itself which provides the easiest access to the water) to the headland near Manly beach has a huge variety of fish and some spectacular rocks.
2. Curl Curl to Freshwater Beach Coastal Walk
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By JElliot32 - New South Wales, Australia
Undertook this walk as part of a walk from Collaroy to Manly. While my own favourite part of the Collaroy-Manly walk is the wilder and more elevated section around Dee Why headland, the stretch from Curl Curl to Freshwater also has plenty to offer, with some lovely coastal views (and summer breezes). It is also a much more straightforward and easier track to traverse, with much of it being along boardwalks. There are water stations along the way but there is not a lot of shade - it's definitely a good idea to wear a hat. .
3. Dee Why Headland walk
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By JElliot32 - New South Wales, Australia
Recently took on the coastal walk from Collaroy to Manly and while the whole trek was a pleasure, to me the clear highlight was the section around Dee Why headland. This section is bookended by two truly beautiful rock pools - Dee Why and North Curl Curl. In between the pools you will experience some stunning views of the Northern Beaches coastline and the wide blue ocean. The narrow path takes you through dense thickets of coastal heath- and bushland (in which gnarled old banksia trees abound). We walked midweek and while we did not have the path to ourselves, other walkers were relatively scarce. And you quickly forget you are just a few kilometres from downtown Sydney.
4. Sophie Tea Art
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
London's hottest new artist Sophie Tea breaks away from her former Instagram sales and launches her very first solo gallery in Manly. Housing a collection of nudes, hearts and abstracts, Sophie doubles the space as a working studio also. Visitors can be lucky enough to watch the trendy artist in action as she divides her time between the Sydney shop and her London studio.
Reviewed By FayeTray - Singapore, Singapore
Sophie is an amazing artist, her passion shows in her work and the attention to detail with her shop is unreal! I have followed her on IG for a long time and am desperate to visit her shop, will definitely be going as soon as I can!
5. Shelly Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,490 reviews
Reviewed By Breadleg - Foster City, United States
A nice walk through the bush and along the cliffs from Manly Bay to Shelly Beach with lots of great outlooks along the way. Some areas require stabile footing due to rocks. Glad we wore trail running shoes. And we did this all in torrential rains. Still loved it.
6. Avalon Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 114 reviews
Reviewed By MeredithAussie - Cannes, France
This is a beautiful beach with surf and golden sand. It is patrolled by surf-lifesavers, so it's best to swim between the flags OR in the excellent ocean baths on the southern end of the beach. Council has also provided a shower/tap for rinsing salt and sand off before you go home. There are plenty of seats (in both sun and shade) and a grassy area and children's playground. Just one block back from the beach are restaurants, cafes and other shops (with parking available).
7. McKillop Park
8. Queenscliff Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
Queenscliff Beach is located at the far northern end of Manly. At first glance, Queenscliff looks just like a continuation of Manly Beach and many tourists do not tend to venture past the commercial and tourist centre of the main beach. If you want to explore a little further, Queenscliff is easy to get to and has a character of its own. It’s easy to get there on foot. From Manly, just head north along the beach promenade until you get to the big yellow Queenscliff Surf Life Saving clubhouse. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Two particularly nice Queenscliff features are a large tidal pool and a lagoon estuary. A path under the bridge leads to the lagoon, a running track and a large fenced kids’ playground. If you have kids with you and need a break from the sand and surf, this is handy to know about. Directly across the road from the SLS clubhouse are two very popular local spots, the Salty Rooster (the best burgers) and the Corner at Queensie, a café which also does a roaring take-away trade at its side window. There are 2 other ‘hidden gems’ to look out for once you are at Queenscliff: i) One is a secret tunnel, the Manly Wormhole. Cut into the cliff by local fisherman as a shortcut between Queenscliff and Freshwater beach, the entrance is located near the big painted heart on the cliff. ii) The other is what has to be one of the best seats in Sydney. On the rocks, sitting high above the tidal pool, is a single metal bench overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the entire length of Manly beach. If ever there was a spot to sit and contemplate, this has to be it. WARNING – If you are parking at the metered beachfront carparks, don't be tempted to not pay. It is regularly patrolled (as are the surrounding streets) and you are highly likely to be fined. This applies to all of Manly.
9. Mona Vale Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 83 reviews
Reviewed By JElliot32 - New South Wales, Australia
Mona Vale may not be the most picturesque of the Northern Beaches but it makes up for this in lots of other ways. It offers something for everyone: families, swimmers, surfers, walkers, even beach fishermen. There is a good-sized carpark though parking is very expensive if you are not a local. It is a long beach, so in post-Covid times could be ideal for social distancing! Mona Vale is good for long walks, as for a large part of its length the local golf course backs onto it, giving it a bit more of a 'bushland' appearance, and at low tide it is easy to walk around the rock platform at the southern end and then walk the length of Warriewood Beach, and back again. At the northern end of the beach there is another extensive rock platform out of which a large ocean pool has been excavated. This is popular with swimmers as can be the small sheltered beach beyond the northern platform, which is called The Basin.
10. North Head Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
Reviewed By sydneysider48 - Sydney, Australia
North Head offers some great walks through bushland, all well graded and signposted, with terrific views across the harbour to the southern suburbs and the city and out through the Heads to sea.
