Nature Reserves
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Morgan Bay The East London Coast Nature Reserve merges ten coastal reserves and two inland state forests. These protected areas are set between the Great Kei River in the north-east and the Tylomnqa River in the south-west.
It’s an awesome spot to spend a family holiday or just enjoy chilling on the stunning beaches. Active types will find that there’s so much to do along this lovely coast. Multi-day hikes, nature walks, horse trails and fishing tend to be the most popular activities.
From north-east to south-west the parks include Cape Morgan, Double Mouth, Cape Henderson, Chintsa West, Kwelera, Nahoon, Cove Rock or Gulu, Kidd's Beach, Kayser's Beach and Chalumna. These reserves occupy 57% of the 250-kilometre coastline between between the two rivers.
Umtiza Forest and Fort Pato Forest are situated inland on the northern banks of the Buffalo River 14 kilometres and 25 kilometres north of East London.
Hiking Trail
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Morgan Bay There’s something to be said for slackpacking on the Wild Coast without having to give up your creature comforts.
This guided hiking trail covers 56 kilometres of the southern Wild Coast with comfy overnight stops at seaside hotels. The terrain is not difficult and you can even hire porters to carry your pack. The greatest attraction is the magnificence of the natural surroundings and its remoteness.
Each night is spent in one of the well-known coastal resorts, known for warm hospitality and lovely locations. Guides and porters from the local Xhosa communities walk with hikers every day, sharing their local expertise, customs and culture with you.
Starting at Kob Inn, the ‘hotel on the rocks’, the meander eventually reaches Morgan Bay after four days of lovely beach, forest, river and estuary explorations with optional boat and canoe trips thrown in. You'll love every minute!
Things to do near
Morgan Bay
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Popular Attractions
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Kei Mouth (4.6 km from Morgan Bay) Wild Coast Horse Trails offer lovely rides on horseback along the beaches of Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay. Overnight horse trails along the Wild Coast start and are based at Sunray Farm. This experience is considered one of the most glorious horseback beach riding holidays in the world!
Book your riding holiday at Sunray Farm and Guest Lodge.
Beaches
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Wild Coast (11.5 km from Morgan Bay) Haga Haga is a little seaside village situated on the Wild Coast of South Africa. The secluded beach is surrounded by river valleys and cliffs. It is perfect for swimming, canoeing, sailing, and relaxing in the warm rock pools. There are also various rocky outcrops that are ideal for fishing and a few hiking trails to the neighbouring beaches and villages.
Beaches
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Chintsa (28.5 km from Morgan Bay) The Wild Coast’s Chintsa Beach is a gorgeous sandy beach divided by a pristine river estuary. West of the estuary lies the smaller stretch of beach, the location of the renowned Buccaneers Lodge and Backpackers. Chintsa’s eastern side is a larger settlement of holiday and retirement homes.
There's an abundance of rock pools, great surfing and kite surfing spots along this 17 km stretch. The beach is safe for swimming beach and forms part of the Standloper Hiking Trail. It's a good beach to work on your fitness, or to simply to stroll and enjoy watching the whales and dolphins that occupy this lovely bay.
Nature Reserves
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Chintsa (32.2 km from Morgan Bay) Home to rare white lions and the Big Five, Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve offers a delightful safari experience in the malaria-free Eastern Cape.
Inkwenkwezi, the Xhosa word for 'under the stars', offers an unforgettable wilderness adventure with amazing options such as elephant-back walks, hiking, horseback and quad-bike trails guided by experienced rangers as well as stunning beaches to explore.
Along with lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant, the reserve has cheetah, numerous antelope, giraffe, zebra, other predators and prolific birdlife.
Inkwenkwezi is also popular with couples wanting to tie the knot in a romantic but easily accessible game reserve. It’s just a five-minute drive from awesome beaches and a 40-minute drive from East London Airport. Getting there by car is easy as the roads are tarred right to the entrance gates.
Beaches
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Glengarriff (33.9 km from Morgan Bay) Glen Eden is renowned for its safe swimming beach, stunning river mouth, rock pools and long beach walks. A short stroll from the parking lot will get you to the beach, favoured as one of the best sites for tranquil sundowners.
Beaches
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Glengarriff (34.4 km from Morgan Bay) Glengarriff Beach is a relatively unknown, unspoilt part of the Wild Coast, and only 30 kilometres from East London. The white sandy beach stretches for many miles and has a beautiful lagoon safe for swimming and paddling in. The beach is suitable for surfing, fishing, scuba diving and kite surfing.
Beaches
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Kwelera (36.7 km from Morgan Bay) Yellow Sands Beach looks out over the picturesque Kwelera River mouth and rocky point on the Wild Coast. Surfers can often be seen riding this popular break. Yellow Sands offers safe swimming, excellent river and surf fishing opportunities and ample solitude for relaxation.
There’s a fun fishing spot just below the raised parking area. Ski boats also launch from this point. It’s also fantastic for bird watching, long walks on the beach and paddling across the river.
Popular Attractions
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Gonubie (37.6 km from Morgan Bay) A great place for the family and the thrill seekers! This resort has a nice restaurant, amazing zip cord rides, quad biking, abseiling, canoe trails, paintball, archery, pellet pun shooting, microlight flights and boat cruises for the romantic.
Day visitors are welcome. The rates are reasonable and there is entertainment for all ages.
Beaches
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Rainbow Valley (41.5 km from Morgan Bay) Sunrise On Sea is a delightful beach for beachcombers, anglers, surfers and hikers. The beach forms part of Kwelera Coastal Nature Reserve and the stunning Standloper Trail, a popular multi-day hike for slackpackers.
Hiking Trail
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Gonubie (42.1 km from Morgan Bay) Beach walk on the wild side – tread the sandy routes and rocky footpaths of the Khoikhoi and shipwreck castaways.
The five-day Strandloper Trail treats hikers to a subtropical carefree meander through incredibly scenic rocky shores, sandy beaches, grasslands and coastal scrubland. Starting at the Strandloper Ecotourism Centre at Cape Morgan, the southbound paths eventually reach Gonubie on the last day.
Endless wave-washed seascapes, interesting tidal pools, unspoiled river estuaries, cool forests and golden sand dunes characterise this varied route. Some sections of the trail offer lovely snorkelling in the gullies.
Hungry hikers can grab a hearty pub meal and drink at various hotels and pubs along the way. Overnight huts all have ablution facilities. There are also braai facilities with the exception of the Cape Henderson hut where no fires are allowed.
+27 (0) 43 841 1046
Beaches
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Gonubie (42.5 km from Morgan Bay) One of South Africa's Blue Flag beaches, Gonubie Beach is one of the best secrets of the Sunshine Coast. Access to this beach is along a raised boardwalk leading down to a beautiful tidal pool. The boardwalk is a fantastic lookout spot for watching dolphins and whales as well as surfers and windsurfers.
Gonubie Lagoon is popular with families, providing kids with many hours of fascinating exploration as they discover small fish, shells and other marine creatures.
Situated only 8 km from East London, the coastal village of Gonubie is considered to be a suburb of the city. But the chilled vibe and awesome scenery of Gonubie belies this. Lying on the estuary of the Gonubie River and enjoying a wonderful climate, Gonubie is a small piece of paradise on the Eastern Cape Coast.
Beaches
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Wild Coast (42.5 km from Morgan Bay) Mazeppa Bay is a small village located on the Wild Coast. The area is particularly famous for fishing. First Beach is lined with palm trees and has a 100 m suspension bridge which you can walk over to reach Mazeppa's renowned island. The island is perfect for deep sea fishing with stunning views of the coastline.
Beaches
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Wild Coast (42.5 km from Morgan Bay) Mazeppa Bay is a small fishing village located on the Wild Coast. Second Beach lies to the south of the lagoon and is within walking distance of First Beach. It is great for taking a long walk by yourself and collecting an amazing variety of shells. There are also massive sand dunes to explore and stunning views of the coastline.
Hiking Trail
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Qolora Mouth (47.5 km from Morgan Bay) Starting at one of the beach hotels at Qolora River Mouth, this scenic slackpacking trail takes an easy route down the Wild Coast. The first 12 km walk ends at Morgan Bay. From there, the following 2 nights are spent at Haga Haga, Cintsa East and Glen Gariff or Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve.
Duration: 4 days
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Distance: 56 km
Popular Attractions
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Beacon Bay (51.1 km from Morgan Bay) Lively local market offering organic produce from local farmers and producers.
Opening times: Tues-Fri 8am-3:30pm Sat 7:30am-1pm Sun & public holidays 8am-1pm
Not open Mondays.