JEFFREYS BAY
Home of the Perfect Wave
Gateway to the Garden Route


Just 72 km west of Port Elizabeth lies Jeffreys Bay. With its endless beaches it is the ideal holiday destination offering the tourist every modern convenience. Walk down a golden beach and you will find a kaleidoscope of colours. Shells of all sizes and colours lie strewn along the beach. Jeffreys Bay is world famous, not only for being the home to perfect waves, but also for the variety and quality of shells that are deposited on its unspoilt beaches every day of the year. Make sure that you visit the Shell Museum before you start your own collection or buy some of the shell art from the local people. Dolphin sightings are almost a daily occurrence and the whales and their calves play in the bay between July and October. Jeffreys Bay is part of the Whale route and the outlook at Plane Street is a must. 


Attractions and Activities

FISHING.
Jeffreys Bay offers anglers a variety of venues to suit all. Surf fishing along the beaches from the Gamtoos mouth to the Kabeljous mouth produces Kob, Leervis, Grunter, White Steenbras as well as big sharks and rays, Rock fishing from the Kabeljous to Paradise beach offers Blacktail, Musselcracker and Baardman, while in the gullies and bays Kob, Steenbras and Elf can be caught. Boats can be launched from the main beach or Port St Francis. There are charter boats offering day trips.

SANDBOARDING.
The beaches around Jeffreys Bay are home to some of the biggest and most spectacular dunes in South Africa. Sandboarding is very similar to snowboarding; it is fast, fun and easy to learn. Sand boarding trips are run daily.

MOUNTAIN BIKING.
Exciting guided tours are available; you can cycle through the nature reserve to the waterfall, where you can jump off suicide rock or slide the Foefie slide or perhaps a Game trip where you bike through a game farm seeking rhino, giraffe, zebra and many more. Another option is to just hire your own bike for the day and explore Jeffreys.
 

HIKING AND BIRD WATCHING.
There are four major hiking and bird watching trails in and around Jeffreys Bay,

Kabeljous Nature Reserve is a 4 km self guided hike that offers a good variety of waders and waterfowl watching.

The Seekoei River Nature Reserve is situated in Aston and offers a 3km hike and has a bird hide next to the lagoon. There are up to a 120 species of birds and if you are lucky you could see a few bushbuck, duiker, and grysbok.

The Noorsekloof, 50 different species can be seen as you hike the 3 km trail up the kloof next to a stream.

Paradise beach there is still a lot of indigenous vegetation left which serves as an excellent habitat for birds.

WINDSURFING / KITESURFING
Learn how to wind or kite surf on the Seekoei Lagoon

SCUBA DIVING
When the tides are right, Jeffreys Bay can be the experience of a lifetime. The reefs are pristine with some of the most beautiful soft coral and small invertebrates in the Eastern Cape, with the depth of the reefs varying from 10 to 50 meters

SURFING IN JEFFREYS BAY
During the internationally Billabong Pro which takes place during July the top 44 surfers in the world come to ride the magnificent long winding waves at Super Tubes.

Throughout the year, helped by the consistent off-shore wind and the shape of the sea bottom and reef points, the surf on all the points are “right breaks” which are favoured by surfers.  During the winter months, as the storm waves come up from the Antarctic, the surf reaches its ultimate potential when the waves retain their fast, ride able shape but build up to a size that can reach above 4 metres.  Jeffreys Bay has many different surf breaks each possessing its own magic and the most prominent surf points are:

DOLPHIN BEACH (MAIN BEACH):  This surf break is an excellent place to learn how to ride the waves.  It is a peak that breaks left and right. Local surf schools offer first rate training. There are also good spots for paddle skiing and knee boarding. Surfboards and accessories can be rented from the nearest Surf Shop.

MAGNA TUBES:  This is a fast, powerful and classic wave, as good as anywhere else.  It is good for surfing, paddle skiing and knee boarding.

SUPER TUBES:  This is the ultimate test of your surfing ability.  It is very fast, powerful, very hollow and very long.  It is suited only to people experienced in surfing, knee boarding and paddle skiing.  Super Tubes is the BEST!!

TUBES:  This is a short, perfect hollow wave.  It is suited for all forms of wave riding.  Once you master Tubes, you can surf Super Tubes!!

POINT:  The Point is 100% enjoyable with cutback sections and everything else you could possibly want from a wave.

ALBATROSS:  A wave in the same class as Point and mostly uncrowned and suited for all forms of wave riding.
 

attractions /activities / Sporting in and arounD

Surrounding towns / areas / ATTRACTIONS

Gamtoos Valley - Loerie - Hankey - Patensie - Baviaanskloof  (15 – 80 km)

The Gamtoos Valley is a vibrant mix of nature, agriculture and cultural influences with plenty to see and explore along this diverse route. Loerie host the Naartjie Festival in September. Hankey, the oldest town in the valley is home to the largest Sun Dial in Africa (Diameter: 36.4m). This area was also home to South Africa’s first inhabitants, the Khoi and Mfengu people. In 2002 the remains of the famous Sarah Bartman, a Khoi-San woman, were laid to rest upon a hill outside the town. Baviaanskloof – a glorious wilderness area.

Outeniqua Choo Tjoe

The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe is the steam hauled train operating between George and Knysna in the heart of the famous Garden Route. The Choo Tjoe offers its passengers a unique, picturesque and scenic 67-kilometre journey experiencing the Garden Route. Passengers may board either at George or Knysna.  

Game Farms / Sanctuaries / National Parks

Golf in the Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape offers visitors a fine selection of golf courses set in scenic surroundings.

18 Hole Courses:
Aberdeen, Alexander, East London, Grahamstown, Humewood, King William’s Town, Port Elizabeth, Queenstown, Royal Port Alfred, St. Francis Bay, Uitenhage, Umtata, Walmer CC, Wedgewood Park, West Bank, Wild Coast

9 Hole Courses:
Aliwal North, Aberdeen, Adelaide, Alexandria, Barkley East, Bedford, Burgersdorp, Butterworth, Cathcart, Cradock, Dirk Fourie Trust, Dordrecht, Ellliot    , Fort Beaufort, Gonubie, Graaff-Reinet, Hankey, Humansdorp, Indwe, Jansenville, Jeffreys Bay, Kei Mouth, Kirkwood, Komga, Lady Grey, Langkloof, Maclear, Middleburg, Molteno, Shark River, Somerset East, Steynsburg, Steytlerville, Stutterheim, Walmer GCl, Willowmore

BUSHMAN SANDS COUNTRY CLUB - ALICEDALE
18-hole championship course designed by Gary Player, on the banks of the Bushmans and New Years Rivers.
Par 71; Kikuyu; carts; soft spike; bent greens; putting and chipping green; hotel accommodation and safaris.
Facilities include a halfway house, pro-shop, showers / steam room.

Shark River Golf Club- Port Elizabeth
A challenging 9-hole course, within the military base at Forest Hill, Shark River has a reputation as the best value-for-money golf club and watering hole in Port Elizabeth.
Par 70/71; mixed greens; Kweek: soft spike; halfway house; locker rooms; bar and restaurant.         

St Francis Bay Golf Club - St Francis Bay
Situated close to the Marina and canals. Par 71; bent greens; Kweek/Kikuyu; putting green; soft spike; clubhouse; catering; locker rooms; pro shop; carts; caddies; club hire; bar.

The Royal Port Alfred Golf Course
The club was granted it’s royal prefix in 1927 when the Prince of Wales paid it a visit. Par 76.

HUMEWOOD GOLF COURSE - PORT ELIZABETH
With 2 separate 9's, each returning to the grand old double storey Club House in the middle of the course, Humewood is still one of only a few genuine links courses found outside Britain. It is situated on the sand dunes on the shores of Algoa Bay, with no water hazards.
It is consistently ranked as one of South Africa's Top 10 golf courses, having hosted many Opens.
Par 72; Gulf greens; Cynoden; driving range; putting and chipping green; soft spike; halfway house; locker rooms; carts; caddies; club hire; pro shop; shoe-cleaning; bar and restaurant.

        

EAST LONDON GOLF COURSE
The ELGC, on the shore, has been host to some of the world's greatest golfing champions and was home to 6 SA Opens - instrumental in developing the course into a challenging, top-rated venue.

One of the oldest clubs (1893), it has undergone a major revamp. Today's course is authoritatively acknowledged as one of the finest courses in South Africa.
Par 73; Cynoden greens; Kikuyu; driving range; putting and chipping green; clubhouse; locker rooms; pro shop and bars.

FISH RIVER SUN - PORT ALFRED AREA
Overlooking the Indian Ocean, this Gary Player Country Club offers golfers a parkland type challenge along the beautiful coast. 

Par 72; bent greens; kikuyu; Parklands Course; wind; driving range; putting and chipping green; practise bunker; clubhouse; pro shop; locker rooms; carts caddies; halfway house; club hire; hotel; bar and restaurant.

Port Elizabeth Golf Course
Founded in 1890 it is commonly known as “The Hill”. It is regarded as the oldest and one of the best golf courses in Southern Africa. The club hosted the South African Amateur Championship in 1990.

Parklands course; par 72; bent greens; Kweek; driving range; putting and chipping green; soft spike; spacious clubhouse; halfway house; locker rooms; carts; caddies; club hire; pro shop; bar and restaurant.

 
Please look at the galleries for more photos