Port Elizabeth (officially renamed Gqeberha in 2021, the isiXhosa name for the Baakens River that runs through the city) is the fifth-largest city in South Africa and the capital of the Eastern Cape province — a city of 1.2 million on the coast of Algoa Bay in the Indian Ocean, known as "the Friendly City" for its English-speaking character and "the Windy City" for the south-westerly winds that make its beaches the finest wind-surfing location in South Africa. The city is the gateway to the Addo Elephant National Park (72 km north, one of the most successful conservation stories in African wildlife history — the population recovered from 11 elephants in 1931 to over 600 today, with the addition of a marine section covering the offshore islands that have African penguins, Cape fur seals and great white sharks), to the Garden Route (the most celebrated coastal drive in South Africa, 300 km west to Knysna and Mossel Bay) and to the Sunshine Coast of beaches (Jeffrey's Bay, 75 km west — one of the world's top 10 surfing spots, famous for the Supertubes break and the annual Rip Curl Pro). The city centre of Gqeberha has the Donkin Reserve (the hilltop park with a pyramid commemorating the wife of the colonial governor Sir Rufane Donkin, who founded the city in 1820 and named it after his dead wife Elizabeth), the 1820 Settlers Monument, the Victorian beachfront strip and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (one of the 2010 FIFA World Cup venues). The Eastern Cape is also the birthplace province of Nelson Mandela (born in Mvezo, 750 km northeast) and the heartland of Xhosa culture — the Xhosa people (AmaXhosa) and their click-consonant language are among the most culturally rich indigenous peoples in southern Africa.
Addo Elephant National Park (72 km north, 1.5 hrs drive) has the densest elephant population in Africa — over 600 elephants in 180,000 ha, plus buffalo, black rhino, lion, leopard, hyena and 400+ bird species; the park is one of the Big 5 reserves closest to a major city in South Africa; the early morning game drive (6-9 am) has the highest elephant activity as herds come to the waterholes.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Addo Elephant Park main camp area has a walk-in predator-free zone with a natural spring waterhole — visitors walk (no vehicle) to a hide 50 m from the waterhole where elephants, buffalo and warthogs drink; dung beetles (the Addo dung beetle is the only flightless dung beetle in the world and has been described as the park's most important species) are abundant.
The Donkin Reserve (hilltop park, founded 1820, with the pyramid Sir Rufane Donkin built for his dead wife Elizabeth — the most unusual memorial in South Africa) has panoramic views over Algoa Bay and the Nelson Mandela Bay Harbour; the 1861 lighthouse, the original 1820 Settler stone cottages and the row of Victorian houses along Donkin Street are collectively the finest Victorian streetscape in Eastern Cape.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideHumewood Beach (the central beach of Gqeberha, Blue Flag certified, 4 km long) for the Indian Ocean late afternoon — the beach faces directly into Algoa Bay with the Port Elizabeth Harbour to the north; the beachfront has a fairground, the Port Elizabeth Museum complex and the Snake Park (a very good reptile collection) directly behind the sand.
The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World on the beachfront is the social hub of Gqeberha's evening — the marina has seafood restaurants serving the Indian Ocean catch (yellowtail, snoek, crayfish/rock lobster in season), the casino has a nightly revue show and the waterfront walk connects to the main beach.
Jeffrey's Bay (75 km west, 1 hr drive) is one of the 10 best surf breaks in the world — the Supertubes break (long, hollow right-hander, 3-4 m faces) is most famous; the Billabong Pro and Rip Curl Pro are held here annually; even non-surfers find the spectacle of professional surfers on a world-class wave extraordinary; surf lessons available for beginners at the adjacent Magna Tubes section.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideJeffrey's Bay township has an arts and craft market, excellent surf shops (Billabong, Rip Curl, Quiksilver all have flagship stores here due to the surf heritage) and the best coffee and fish tacos on the Eastern Cape coast; the Surf Museum (Billabong store building) has iconic photos of J-Bay's surfing history from the 1960s.
Sardinia Bay (15 km west of Gqeberha, no commercial development, marine protected area) has the most pristine beach in the Eastern Cape — the secluded coves, the dune forest behind the beach, the bottlenose dolphins that patrol the bay and the frequent sightings of southern right whales (Jun–Nov, breeding season in Algoa Bay) make it the finest coastal scenery near the city.
Schoenmakerskop ("Cobbler's Head" in Afrikaans, locally "Skoenmakers") is a rocky headland 20 km west of Gqeberha where the sea stacks and tidal pools are among the best in the Eastern Cape — the rock pool walk (low tide) has octopus, starfish, anemones and mussels; the sunset from the headland looking west along the Sunshine Coast is one of the best near the city.
The St Croix Island group in Algoa Bay (offshore boat trip from Gqeberha harbour) has the largest African penguin colony in the world (over 23,000 pairs); alternatively Cape Recife Nature Reserve (15 km south of the city, accessible by road) has a smaller penguin colony on the beach accessible on foot — the African penguin is an IUCN Endangered species with declining population.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Eastern Cape is the heartland of Xhosa culture — a cultural village experience (arranged through the tourism office) demonstrates Xhosa beadwork (the most elaborate communication-code beadwork in Africa, where bead colours and patterns send specific messages), the ulwaluko male initiation ceremony, traditional izigqi dances and the Xhosa language with its 3 distinct click consonants (the hardest sounds in any language for non-native speakers).
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Nelson Mandela Bay Museum complex on Humewood Beach has the Eastern Cape's colonial history (the 1820 British Settler story — 5,000 British settlers brought to occupy the disputed frontier zone between British Cape Colony and Xhosa kingdoms) and maritime history; the 1820 Settlers Monument on the hill above the city is the national monument to the 90,000 descendants of the 1820 settlers.
South African braai (barbecue, the national cooking tradition — the word is both the fire and the social event) with Eastern Cape produce: boerewors (farmer's sausage, the South African coil sausage with coriander spice), lamb chops from the Karoo heartland, chakalaka (spiced relish of tomatoes, peppers and beans) and a farewell rooibos tea (grown exclusively in the Cederberg region of South Africa, 400 km west).