A cycling and walking track spanning the northern beaches coastline will draw visitors from across the city, country and internationally, the administrator of the area's council says.

The Northern Beaches Council, established in May through forced merger, announced a $32.6 million investment program on Friday that will include a coastal walk and cycleway from Manly to Palm Beach (see map, below).

The administrator of the council, Dick Persson, said the program of works would turn the northern beaches coastline into "probably one of the longest coastal urban walking and cycle ways in Australia, if not beyond."

To complete the 36-kilometre continuous walkway, parts of which already exist, the program will include 14 kilometres of new off-road shared paths.