Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay is the jewel of The Garden Route. It's more than a village, less than a town. Plettenberg Bay is tranquil and charming, hospitable and rather special. Originally christened "Bahia Formosa", or “beautiful bay” by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay can now be accessed by first class national roads, by sea or by scheduled air flights.

Plettenberg Bay is characterised by sweeping, unspoilt golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers and sea. With its exceptional climate, and beautiful view sites over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for tourists interested in exploring, watching or just lazing.

Activities and sightseeing in the area

Boat cruises

Cruises in the bay to experience the wealth of marine life found here usually take place during the morning and afternoon. Dolphins, whales, seals and other fish can be spotted depending on the time of year. Cruises depart from Central Beach and are one and a half hour to two and a half hour long.

Keurbooms River Ferry & Angling Club

The Keurbooms River Nature Reserve is situated 5km from Plettenberg Bay in the direction P.E. This nature reserve stretches up the river for about 5-6km. To experience the beauty of the reserve you can either take a ferry trip, which lasts 2½ hours or you can hire a boat with engine from the Angling Club (Tel ) at the river, and travel up the river by yourself. There are a number of picnic spots next to the river with little beaches where you can spend the whole day swimming, tanning, fishing or lazing around.

Canoeing on the Keurbooms River

If you are keen on canoeing, you can hire a canoe from Nothando Backpackers and canoe up the Keurbooms River Nature Reserve.

Diving

There are excellent diving and snorkelling opportunities in our area.

Whale watching

South Africa's southern Cape coast offers visitors the wonderful opportunity to watch a truly great mammal, the Southern Right Whale, during winter and spring months when these dignified creatures come into our calm waters to calve and protect their young. Plettenberg Bay offers outstanding whale watching facilities with ideal viewpoints along the coastline.

Hiking

There are many hikes and short walks in the area. Robberg is by far the most popular walk. There are three trails to choose from: 45 minutes, 2 hours and the 9,2 km or 4½ hour walk.