Manly to Spit Walkway in Sydney, Australia

It's my first ever time in Sydney, and it's quickly become one of my favourite cities in the world. After I spent a morning wandering around the downtown area and visiting all the main highlights, I decided to take on one of the best coastal walks.

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Sydney lies on the southeastern coast of Australia, the capital city of New South Wales. It's got hundreds of kilometres of coastline and neighbourhoods twisting along the water. This means there are loads of coastal walks along beautiful views, hidden beaches and bush.

The coastal walk from Manly to Spit is one of the prettiest and most loved coastal walks in all of Sydney.

I am currently solo traveling around Australia, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport.

For thousands of years, the Gadigal people lived on this land, long before Europeans arrived. The first Europeans to arrive in the area were the British on the First Fleet in 1788.

The Manly to Spit Walkway opened in 1988 connecting harbours, Aboriginal sites, natural coastal sites and sub-tropical rainforest.

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Each pin includes the exact location (plus the ability to open it directly in Google Maps), lots of photos for inspiration, detailed information to help you visit the spot plus a link to my relevant blog post to read lots more about it.

How to Get to the Manly to Spit Walkway

The Manly to Spit Walkway is one of the most beloved coastal walks in all of Sydney. You can start the walk from either end but the most popular way to is to from Manly to Spit. In Manly, the walk begins at the Manly Wharf; in Spit, the walk begins at Ellery Park.

By car: You can drive to either end and park your car before taking on the coastal walk. Then you can return to your car once you've completed the walk by Uber or by public transport.

By bus: To reach Ellery Park on the Spit, you can take bus 173X from Wynyard Station in the CBD to Spit West Reserve, a journey of under 20 minutes.

By ferry: To reach Manly Wharf, you can take the Manly Fast Ferry (MFF) from Circular Quay, a ride of about 20 minutes with stunning views from the water of Sydney's landmarks.

By Uber: Uber is readily available in Sydney and can be used to reach either end of the walk; useful if you have parked at one end and want to get back to your car once you're done!

Manly to Spit Walkway Details

When: year-round

Where: between Manly and Spit in northern Sydney

Difficulty: intermediate

Length: it's about 10km one-way which should take between two and three hours, depending on how much you stop at beaches and viewpoints along the way

Directions: you can start the walk from either end but the most popular way to is to from Manly to Spit. In Manly, the walk begins at the Manly Wharf; in Spit, the walk begins at Ellery Park. Follow the signs past stunning hidden coves, beautiful seaside villages and breathtaking panoramic views.

Bathrooms: yes, in the various towns along the way

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Jana Meerman

Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.

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2 Comments

Marianna Paulson
16 January 2019 / 5:41 pm

Gorgeous! It looks like you’re getting your exercise.

No shark sightings, I hope.

- Jana Meerman
  Author
  16 January 2019 / 5:51 pm
  
  The beauty makes it easy to walk hours a day here, and no shark sightings yet (sadly no kangaroos yet, either!). xx