Look no further than Port St Johns, the jewel of the Wild Coast, if you would like to become one with nature. Surrounded by towering cliffs, covered in dense indigenous forest with beautiful beaches stretching to the north and south, Port St Johns is a relaxed town with sub-tropical weather making it an all year round destination along the Wild Coast.
The Wild Coast route is home to a number of smaller towns and holiday villages, with the Wild Coast Sun & Casino near Port Edward providing a fun, family focused, home-away-from home gaming destination. Having emerged as one of the preferred golfing destinations in South Africa, the Wild Coast Sun offers visitors a variety of outdoor activities to indulge in. The area also boasts two nature reserves offering visitors nature-focussed activities and experiences. Hluleka and Mkhambati nature reserves welcome guests with affordable accommodation, game viewing, bird watching, whale viewing and fishing activities.
Spread out along the coastal route, you will find the villages of Coffee Bay and Hole-In-The-Wall. The rustic lodges and bars, excellent fishing and breath-taking hikes define this beachcomber area. Morgan’s Bay and Kei Mouth offer visitors a variety of accommodation options along this stretch of coastline. Explore it by helicopter or canoe, take a boat trip to see the whales or watch the dolphins in the surf from the beach while you are fishing. The Wild Coast beaches are breath-taking.
High cliffs and distinctive round, thatched traditional huts define the inland area. Many of South Africa’s political leaders hail from Mthatha where you can visit the beautiful Lucha nature reserve, Mthatha Dam, the Tutor Ndamase Pass, the Langeni Pass or stick to the coastal route with one of the best kept secrets of the Wild Coast – the Hluleka Nature Reserve.
Linking the Wild Coast and the Sunshine Coast is the Jikeleza Route, labelled the tame area of the Wild Coast. Made up of a cluster of more than 50 tourism attractions, this fast growing popular scenic coastal tourism route offers over 28 unique accommodation establishments ranging from five star luxury boutique hotels to South Africa’s best rated backpackers. Only 30km away from East London’s airport, this mild to wild bush to beach route is perfect for the adrenaline junkie or if you just feel like doing something different.
East London is South Africa’s only river port and is set on both the broad Buffalo River and Nahoon River, with the Gonubie River flowing around it. Buffalo City boasts extraordinary tourist attractions and is rich in natural resources. The 68km of coastline includes 10 estuaries, conservancies, natural heritage sites, rocky shores and 14 sandy beaches.
Well suited to local tourism and ecotourism, the area also focuses on historical tourism which is especially important when relating to the anti-apartheid struggle as many of South Africa’s past and present political leaders hail from the region.
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