Port Elizabeth - 150km

A cannon points to the site where the Portuguese galleon, Sacramento, ran aground in July 1647. Continuing further west, Sardinia Bay is a small rocky bay with a sandy beach. Fishing is prohibited in the marine reserve, which extends 2 km out to sea. The Sardinia Bay Nature Reserve provides protection for 320 ha of coastal dune fynbos. Still further west, the residential village of Sea View lies along a stretch of rocky coast, but visitors can swim in the tidal pool. A landmark in the village is the hotel, formerly the HMS Good Hope, which served as a training ‘ship’ for officers of the Royal Navy during World War II.

SEAVIEW GAME AND LION PARK

...is home to some 40 species of African wildlife, including lion, cheetah, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope such as springbok, kudu, wildebeest and blesbok. Visitors can do self-drive game-viewing in the 46-ha park, and get close-up views of two of Africa’s large cat species in the cheetah and lion enclosures. A programme to breed the rare white lion was introduced in 1999. Night game drives offer visitors an opportunity to see nocturnal animals and birds.

MAITLAND RIVER MOUTH

Flanked by rocky coastline to the east and kilometres of sandy beach to the west, this resort at the mouth of the Maitland River is a popular destination for both rock and surf anglers. A short distance inland from the river mouth, the scenery is dominated by towering sand dunes, while the Maitland Nature Reserve covers 127 ha of coastal forest and scrub. There are two nature trails along which visitors can explore the forest’s Cape chestnut, white stinkwood, forest elder and candlewood trees.

An old wagon road leads to a long-abandoned lead mine in the reserve. The river and the nature reserve were named after Lieutenant-General Sir Peregrine Maitland, Governor of the Cape from March 1844 to January 1847.

VAN STADENS RIVER MOUTH

...is a popular coastal resort with a magnificent setting at the mouth of the Van Stadens River. Its 6-km stretch of unspoilt beach is popular with sunbathers and anglers, while the beautiful lagoon offers safe swimming, boardsailing and canoeing. The high dunes along the western shores of the lagoon provide exciting opportunities for sandboarding.

VAN STADENS WILD FLOWER RESERVE

...lies on the coastal plateau at the foot of the Van Stadens Mountain. Bounded by the Van Stadens River Gorge in the west, the reserve covers 500 ha of fynbos, indigenous forest and cultivated gardens. A profusion of proteas, ericas, pincushions, ground orchids and other fynbos species cover the gentle slopes to the north of the N2. Among the reserve’s botanical rarities are the Van Stadens conebush (Leucadendron orientale) and a fire lily (Cyrtanthus stadensis).

The southern plateau slopes and the banks of the river are draped in indigenous forest, consisting of species such as white pear, kooboo berry, Cape plane and cheesewood. The mountain and the river owe their name to Marthinus van Staden, who was awarded a loan farm in the area around 1744.