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)

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.

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

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.

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.

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.