Beaches
Pollock Beach or the “Pipe” as it is known locally, is favored by holiday makers and surfers because of its excellent waves, surfing opportunities, fun times with the family, sunset strolls and swimming (Life Guards). Pollock Beach is a stone throw away from both Summerstrand Beach Lodge and Pollok Beach Guest Lodge and is reached by traveling along Marine Drive, Summerstrand, and turning left immediately on passing 10th Avenue. There is plenty of lawn area which is pleasant for rigging, a parking area, walkways and cycling lanes.
The popular Hobie Beach, in the vicinity of the Shark Rock Pier and the Boardwalk, is the venue for the annual “Splash Festival”, as well as the Beach Volleyball and World Boardsailing Championships. The beach, a favourite for swimming, sunbathing and body surfing, also offers sheltered rock pools with interesting inter-tidal sea life. Pollock Beach, or the “Pipe” as it is known locally, is favoured by surfers because of its excellent waves and surfing.
King’s Beach is a magnificent 1, 6 km wide expanse of golden sand extending from the harbour wall to Humewood. The beach is ideal for swimming, body surfing, sunbathing and long beach walks, and includes facilities such as supertubes for the adventurous, a snack bar, parking area, change-rooms and a lifesavers’ centre. Sunday’s come alive with the Beach Front Traders, skate boarding at the skate park and picnicing in the newly upgraded park.
Bayworld
One of the leading tourist attractions in Nelson Mandela Bay, Bayworld is unique in Southern Africa, embracing a natural and cultural history Museum combined with a Snake Park and Oceanarium. It is located in the heart of the Port Elizabeth beachfront and serves up a feast of edutainment to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The main activities of the Complex are research and education aimed at stimulating a greater awareness of the need for conservation of South Africa’s natural and cultural heritage. Research and education programmes focus on marine life, reptiles, maritime and local history.
Opening times: 9:00-16:30 (Daily, except 25 December)
Humewood Golf Course
A mere 3 minutes drive from Summerstrand Beach Lodge , you will find the Beautiful Landscaped Humewood Golf Course. Humewood Golf Course is found in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and home to one of the world’s most challenging links courses. The Humewood Golf Course is ranked 15th among South Africa’s Top golf courses.
The golf course is a genuine seaside links, with wide and undulating fairways, fast greens and thick coastal bush. Playing a round of golf, is a must for any golfer visiting the ‘Friendly City’ of Port Elizabeth. The course boasts a variety of animal life with an abundance of plovers, otherwise known as “kiewietjies”, one of which makes up the club’s emblem. After enjoying a your round of golf with your friends, we invite you to come and relax at the “19th” in the elegant Club House and indulge in a spectacular view over the links course itself as well as Algoa Bay.
St Georges Cricket
St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth has been hosting international cricket matches since 1889 and was, in fact, the first ground outside England or Australia to host a Test match. Today this historic venue hosts all forms of cricket and is known for its excellent atmosphere. St George’s Park also hosted South Africa’s first rugby match, against England in 1891.
Port Elizabeth is known for its hospitality, and the local cricket fans at St George’s Park uphold this reputation. The stadium, which has a capacity of 19 000, has become famous for the local brass band that often performs during matches, creating a rare and festive atmosphere.
Donkin Heritage Trail
The best way to explore the cultural history of Port Elizabeth is to take the 5km long walk. A map of the trail can be bought at the tourist office located at the Donkin Reserve. The Stone Pyramid was erected by Sir Rufane Donkin, in memory of his young wife, Elizabeth after whom the city was named.
The Campanile was erected to commemorate the arrival of the 1820 Settlers. Take a walk up the 200 steps to the top and your efforts will be rewarded with a spectacular view across the harbour and surrounding area. The Port Elizabeth City Hall was completed in 1862 and is one of the many impressive architectural treasures on the trial.
The No 7 Castle Hill Museum was built in 1829 and reflects what a typical middle class family home looked like. The South End Museum takes you back to the early 20th century up to the 1960’s when the area was demolished under the apartheid regime. The Horse Memorial was built to recognise and honour the horses & mules that died during the 2nd Boer War.
Game Reserves
Port Elizabeth, located in the Eastern Cape is an upcoming tourism city in South Africa. A perfect location to visit the top game reserves in the country. There are several day tours from the Friendly City which visits game reserves like Schotia, Shamwari, Addo Elephant Park, Lalibela and lots more. After the game reserves you can learn about the history of Port Elizabeth and take a tour to the beautiful nature regions like Tsitsikamma and the Baviaanskloof with the Gamtoos Valley, Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay and the likes. Below you can find a variation of day tours in Port Elizabeth to go on.
Horseback
Revitalize yourself with a riding vacation out of the charming seaside town of Sardinia Bay in Port Elizabeth and the exquisite freedom of riding along the un-spoilt beaches
McArthur Pool
McArthur Pool and Leisure Centre, also known as McArthur Baths, offers outdoor swimming pools with slides at kiddie’s pools. Disabled friendly. Kiosk and pool bar on site with access to two restaurants and surf shop. Season tickets available. Full time security and lifeguards making McArthurs Pool and Leisure Centre “your place for safe family fun in the sun.” access to adjoining beach
Quad Biking
Sundays River Mouth Quad Bike Adventures Clubhouse is situated 7.9 km north of the Colchester / Sundays River Mouth Village on the East Coast of South Africa approximately halfway between Cape Town and Durban and only 38 km from Port Elizabeth and only 5 Minutes off the N2 Highway.
• Guided tours with an experienced riders is offered with the use of our brand new 300cc Aeon, 2 seater automatic Quad Bikes• Access is offered to adventure seekers who bring their own Quads; various routes are mapped out and clearly marked for a thrilling experience.
SAAF Museum
There are few exhibits at the Port Elizabeth Airport branch of the museum because of the limited hangar space available.
Static exhibits are housed in the original 42-Air School Air Gunnery Training Centre used during the Joint Air Training Scheme in World War II.[13]
Active restoration is being performed on a number of North American Harvards and there is a project to restore an Airspeed Oxford.One of the more unusual exhibits is a Jorg IV Skimmerfoil ground effect craft.
Sandboarding
On this 3 hour sandboarding adventure you get the chance to ride some of the biggest dunes in the Eastern Cape on both types of Sandboard’s, the lie down board and the stand-up Snowboard type.
This unique adventure starts with a scenic boat cruise on the Sundays River where you will see the local birdlife feeding in their natural habitat. After about 10 minutes we reach the famous Alexandria Coastal Dune field which is the largest, most impressive and least degraded dune field in South Africa.
We at Sandboarding Sunday’s River think it’s one of the most spectacular in the world , and it overlooks The Addo Elephant National Park right on our doorstep.
Scuba Diving
Many small reefs lie scattered just a short swim from the pier which makes for an enjoyable shore entry directly infront of Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth. Yellow-bellied rock cod, rays, sandsharks and catfish have been spotted amongst the large sea fans and corals on these pockets of reef.
Sundays River Ferry
Sundays River Ferry offers the perfect outdoor and teambuilding activity just outside Port Elizabeth. A short drive from Port Elizabeth on the N2 towards Grahamstown lies the village of Cannonville and Colchester. Situated on the estuary of the scenic Sundays River at the southern gate to the Addo Elephant National Park with its spectacular sand dunes and breathtaking views of the city of Port Elizabeth and Algoa Bay. We are also close to the Marine section of the Addo Elephant National Park. The river is calm and peaceful and offers a relaxing and memorable cruising.
Surfing
Pollock Beach or the “Pipe” as it is known locally, is favored by surfers because of its excellent waves and surfing opportunities. The beach is reached by traveling along Marine Drive, Summerstrand, and turning left immediately on passing 10th Avenue. There is plenty of lawn area which is pleasant for rigging, a parking area and a shower house with an ablution block for surfers.
Sailing
Sailing the warm waters of Algoa Bay is a very popular and sought after sport in Port Elizabeth. Making the most of our “Windy City” gives you the oppertuinity to enjoy fun filled days with your family and friends on the generaly calm but windswept waters of our bay.
Algoa Bay is host to a number of National and International Sailing Events every year, building continually on a rich sailing tradition that began in the late 1800’s, and competative sailing events and regattas are held every weekend over the Sailing Season
Fishing
For the enthuisiatic angler, the choises of fishing spots in and around Port Elizabeth are plentifull – allowing him to choose from several river, dam/lake, rock, surf or deep sea fisching oppertuinities. We have several angling clubs, fishing tackle shops, bait shops, as well as upmarket and professional charter facilities for your enjoyment.
City Tour
The wide variety of scenic day tours and excursions that are on offer have charmed many travelers. The tours available are specialised and of a very high standard. The city tours usually incorporate many of the historical attractions as well as the modern developments in the Bay. Tour guides are flexible and willing to modify the tour according to your individual needs.
The heritage and historical tours, walking tours and trails through Nelson Mandela Bay provide visitors with a historical perspective. The wide variety of scenic day tours and excursions offer a fascinating and informative way to discover our Bay and surrounding areas.
Baviaanskloof
The Baviaanskloof lies between the Baviaanskloof and Kouga mountain ranges. The easternmost point of the valley is some 95 km NW of the coastal city of Port Elizabeth.
The Baviaanskloof area includes a cluster of formal protected areas managed by the Eastern Cape Parks Board totalling around 500,000 hectares of which the most well-known is the 184 385 ha Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve – the third largest protected area in South Africa. The Baviaanskloof Forest Reserve was established in 1920.[] It also includes the Groendal Nature Reserve and Formosa Nature Reserve,[3] and encompasses private land.
The Baviaanskloof area is one of outstanding natural beauty, owing to its spectacular land forms, a diverse array of plants and wide variety of animals.[4] The area is part of the Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site as of 2004.