Port Elizabeth - 150km

PORT ELIZABETH

...lies on the shores of the sweeping bay originally named Baia da Lagoa (Bay of the Lagoon) by Manuel de Mesquita Perestrêlo in 1576, a reference to the lagoon at the mouth of the Baakens River. A small settlement developed around Fort Frederick, built on the heights above the Baakens River in 1799 to prevent a possible landing by French troops. The history of Port Elizabeth is inextricably linked to the arrival of the 1820 Settlers – 4 000 emigrants who left Britain for the Eastern Cape in 21 ships between December 1819 and March 1820.

Sir Rufane Donkin, the Acting Governor of the Cape, visited the settlement on 6 June 1820; at his request, it was renamed Port Elizabeth in memory of his wife, who had died of fever in India two years earlier. An important city landmark is the 51,8-m-high Campanile, which was erected in 1923 to commemorate the landing of the 1820 Settlers. Among the many other historical buildings and sites are the row of double-storey terraced houses in Donkin Street, built between 1860 and 1880; the Pyramid in the Donkin Reserve, dedicated to Elizabeth Donkin; and the row of townhouses in Cora Terrace, built in the Regency style from about 1856 onwards.

The complex of Settler houses in Castle Hill is an interesting example of early Eastern Cape townhouses. No 7 Castle Hill, built in 1830, is the oldest house in the city and appropriately serves as a period-house museum. Facing the Market Square are the historic Library (1848), the statue of Queen Victoria and the City Hall (1862). An excellent way to appreciate the city’s many historic buildings is to follow the Donkin Heritage Trail, linking 43 places of interest.

SOUTHERN BEACHES

Many visitors are attracted to Port Elizabeth by its sandy beaches. King’s Beach stretches for 1,6 km from the harbour breakwater to Humewood Beach and offers safe swimming and sunbathing. The city’s best-known beach, Humewood, features a promenade and attracts large crowds of sunbathers. About 2 km beyond Humewood lies Port Elizabeth’s third sandy beach, Summerstrand. Hobie Beach is a popular venue with boardsailing and hobie cat enthusiasts, while the adjacent Pollock Beach offers excellent surfing.

BAYWORLD

...in Humewood comprises the Oceanarium, Snake Park, Tropical House and Museum. The Oceanarium is famous for its performing bottlenose dolphins and seals, while two large aquaria provide fascinating views of colourful fish, sharks and other forms of marine life. An extensive collection of snakes, including python, black mamba, cobra and puff adder, as well as crocodile and other reptiles, can be seen at the Snake Park, and regular demonstrations are given by snake handlers.

In the Tropical House, with its 7-m-high artificial outcrop, streams, waterfalls and bridges, visitors can follow a winding path through lush tropical vegetation. The Museum contains fascinating displays on marine biology and the history of Port Elizabeth, a collection of period costumes, beadwork and genealogies of the Xhosa-speaking people of the Eastern Cape, and a life-size replica of an Algoasaurus dinosaur.

CAPE RECIFE

...is a promontory that forms the southernmost extremity of Algoa Bay. The name is a corruption of the earlier Portuguese name Cabo de Recife, which means ‘cape of the reef’, a reference to dangers such as Recife Point and Thunderbolt Reef not far offshore. An area of 336 ha has been set aside as the Cape Recife Nature Reserve to preserve the shoreline, coastal dunes and vegetation.

Visitors can explore the reserve on foot by following the 7-km-long Roseate Tern Trail, or do birding from a hide. The 24-m-high octagonal lighthouse at Cape Recife  is the third oldest along the South African coast. Designed by the Surveyor General of the Cape Colony, Colonel Charles Michell, it came into service on 1 April 1851. The remains of a World War II military observation post can be seen on the heights behind the lighthouse.

WESTERN BEACHES

Several popular holiday resorts nestle along the coast west of Cape Recife. Set amid green lawns, the Willows Holiday Resort lies in a sheltered rocky bay with two tidal pools. Schoenmakerskop village lies along a rocky stretch of coast, with numerous pools and gullies offering excellent opportunities for swimming. It has been suggested that the hill after which the village was named owes its name to Johannes Schumacher, a soldier and artist who accompanied Colonel Robert Gordon when he explored the area in 1778.