Manea lies on the edge of Manea Fen, a place of staggering natural beauty which is reflected in the gentle, open village feeling and the relaxed and friendly nature of the villagers.

Historically, Manea was originally a hamlet in the parish of Coveney and over the year it has grown to a population of over 2,000 people.

For a small village, Manea has a few unexpected points of interest:
- It is very unusual for a village of this size to retain a railway station, but Manea has its own still.
- There is an RSPB nature reserve close by at Welches Dam
Only 1 mile west of Manea is Stonea Camp, an Iron Age fort which is well worth a visit.
- In the 17th century, this was where King Charles I planned to build a new town and Summer palace called Charlemont. This ambition was denied by Oliver Cromwell who was then MP for Cambridge.
- In the 1830s, Manea Fen Colony was established as a utopian community which even built its building with bricks from its own brickworks. Although the colony initially faired well even producing its own newspaper called "The Working Bee", the colony eventually declined and was dissolved in 1841.