Things to Do in Port Elizabeth
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PortElizabeth is a great little coastal city with loads of great things todo, and a whole host of fantastic…
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Sports Stadiums Clubs
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St Georges Park Sahara Oval, St George’s Park Cricket Ground, St George’s Oval, The Crusaders Ground – the grand old cricket oval of many names was the first ground in South Africa to host a Test match in 1889.
St George's Cricket Ground lies in Nelson Mandela Bay's upmarket suburb of St George’s Park and is one of the venues for Test matches and One Day Internationals in South Africa.
The oval is home to the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs in South Africa, and the Eastern Province Amateur Cricket Board.
Nature Reserves
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Port Elizabeth Known as the oldest park in Port Elizabeth, this is also the home of the second oldest cricket club in South Africa, which has hosted countless test matches to this day.
St George's Park also features the Port Elizabeth Bowls Club, founded on August 14, 1882, and known as "The Mother Club of Bowls in South Africa" as it was the first bowling club in the country. Other facilities include a swimming baths complex, the Mannville Open-Air Theatre, the Port Elizabeth Lawn Tennis Club, Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial, and the Pearson Conservatory.
Golf Courses
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Summerstrand Considered one of the world's most challenging links courses, Humewood Golf Course is consistently ranked as one of South Africa's Top 10 golf courses. The late Bobby Locke considered Humewood Golf Course to be the best in South Africa and said that it compared favourably with the top links courses in the British Isles. Humewood has hosted the South African Amateur 9 times and the South African Open 4 times.Situated in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, the golf course is a genuine seaside links, frequently lashed by the winds off Algoa Bay. The length of the course is 6 225 meters with 18 holes/par72. With wide and undulating fairways, fast greens and thick coastal bush, a round at Humewood is an absolute must for any golfers visiting South Africa.The course is home to a variety of animal life with an abundance of cheeky plovers, otherwise known as kiewietjies, one of which makes up the club's emblem. And, after your round of golf, 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.
Galleries and Museums
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St Georges Park The Ron Belling Art Gallery is situated in a beautiful Art Deco house built in 1936. Designed by Gertruida Brinkman, the first woman architect to graduate in South Africa, it is recognized as a significant example of the Early Modern Style. The house has been modified tastefully as a modern art gallery and both the building and the privately owned collection are available for the benefit of the larger community.
Ron Belling was South Africa’s foremost aviation artist who produced 1650 paintings during his lifetime. Many of these are exhibited at the gallery, dedicated to his memory in Port Elizabeth. The gallery also exhibits examples of the Marine and Junkers series, the latter almost completed at the time of his death and are on loan from the Ron Belling Memorial Art Trust.
Open Monday to Friday 10:00 – 16:00.
Weekends on the first Saturday and Sunday of the Month 10:00 – 13:00; third and fourth Saturday of the Month 10:00 – 13:00.
Closed every second weekend of the month (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) and religious holidays.
A nominal admission fee is payable.
Sports Stadiums Clubs
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North End Situated on the North End Lake which is an idyllic setting for match days, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is the Eastern Cape's first dedicated football stadium.
Features include a three-tier design with two rings of skyboxes. Five first-round, one second-round, one quarter-final, and the third-place play-off 2010 FIFA World Cup matches kicked off here.
The football crazy Port Elizabeth / Nelson Mandela Bay and Eastern Cape residents are the beneficiaries of this brand new futuristic multi-purpose stadium with seating for 50 000 spectators. It is conveniently located near the N2 highway, just a few kilometres from the coast and the port of Coega.
In close proximity to Port Elizabeth / Nelson Mandela Bay is the Addo Elephant National Park and two of South Africa's award winning private game reserves and lodges - Shamwari Game Reserve and Bushman Sands Hotel (featuring a world-class Gary Player designed golf course) along with many other accommodation options. Called the "Friendly City" for good reason, Port Elizabeth offers a number of stunning beach options.
Beaches
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Maitlands At the mouth of the Maitland River lies a magnificent bathing beach backed by huge sand dunes stretching for about 5 km West from Beachview to beyond Blue Water Bay.
Kids love the dunes for tobogganing and sand boarding. Maitland River Beach is ideal for leisurely strolls along the waters edge where you can collect sand mussels.
Beaches
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Summerstrand Pollock Beach is yet another beautiful Sunshine Coast beach that stretches from the Summerstrand lifesaving club to the beacon at the bottom of Admiralty Way. Beachcombers will find numerous shells walking along this wild shore. There are some good snorkelling spots close to the Humewood golf course - rated one of South Africa’s Top 10 Golf courses.
Pollock Beach is favourite for swimming, sunbathing and body surfing. It also offers sheltered rock pools with interesting inter-tidal sea life.
Known locally by surfers as the "Pipe" because of its excellent waves and surfing opportunities. It is the first place to pick up swell and the last place to loose it. Pipe is a sand covered reef that delivers a very descent left as well as a right.
Along the beach you will find a cyclist path and new walkway stretching from within the dunes all the way to Hobie Beach and the Boardwalk.
The Summerstrand Village Shopping Centre with a Pick ‘n Pay family supermarket, several restaurants, banks and gift shops is close by.
Nature Reserves
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Port Elizabeth Van Staden's Wild Flower Reserve was established in 1951 and is situated 40 km from Port Elizabeth. It is one of the top places to see lowland fynbos, flowering proteas and a variety of other endemic fynbos. Visitors can see a large variety of vegetation in the various habitats of the escarpment. There is an abundance of succulents, ericas, leucadendrons, and other indigenous flora.
The reserve aims to protect the large variety of bird, plant and animal species within the area. Bird watchers can feast their eyes on more than 170 bird species and a number of raptors frolicking in their natural habitat along the rocky gorge. This includes the forest buzzard, jackal buzzard, booted eagle, African crowned eagle, peregrine falcon, black sparrowhawk, and lanner falcon. There is an indigenous coastal forest along the gorge of Van Staden's River. It is home to the Knysna turaco, the Knysna warbler, and the sombre greenbul, among many others.
There is also a nursery in the reserve which sells indigenous flora, and scenic picnic sites on the plateau that are perfect for relaxing over a meal. There are two hiking trails for those who want to explore the reserve. The River Walk is four kilometres long and the Forest Walk is six kilometres. Mountain bikers can explore the plateau section of the reserve, and there are easier sections which are ideal for families to cycle on.
Galleries and Museums
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Humewood Situated right in the city centre, No 7 Castle Hill is a picturesque Victorian cottage museum dating back to 1827. It's one of the oldest remaining houses in Port Elizabeth and is furnished as a family home of the mid-Victorian period, depicting the early Settler way of life.Need to know? Staff will provide general tours or special interest tours on request. To arrange this, please contact +27 (0)41 582 2515.
Beaches
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Wells Estate Well’s Estate Beach is situated in the northern part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Precinct. This blue Flag Beach is great for kids and boasts well-maintained water slides and paddling pools. Facilities are excellent and lifeguards are on duty during the summer holiday peak season.
Beaches
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Port Elizabeth All the rage for swimming, sunbathing and body surfing, Hobie Beach is the venue for the annual Splash Festival as well as the Beach Volleyball and World Boardsailing Championships. The calm seas, blissfully warm water (between 18 to 21 degrees in summer) and beaches patrolled by professional lifeguards provide the perfect combination for a family holiday. Hobie Beach is a good choice for swimming or simply sunbathing but if you’re a water sports junkie there’s no end to the thrills here - choose from scuba diving, windsurfing, kiting, surfing, jet skiing or surf skiing.At low tide the Shark Rock Pier side of Hobie Beach is a great place to explore, offering sheltered rock pools with interesting inter-tidal sea life. Kids love spending time here looking for creatures like starfish and octopus. Hobie Beach is situated in Summerstrand which is an ideal base from which to explore Port Elizabeth and its beautiful coastline.
Beaches
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Humewood Humewood Beach is one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s numerous golden sandy beaches offering excellent swimming and amenities. Lifeguards are on duty from November to April during the peak holiday season (Blue Flag season).
Facilities for the disabled are outstanding. This includes special wheelchairs that can be used on the beach and in the sea. Lifeguards are ready to assist if required.
A promenade runs along the beachfront linking the beach, swimming pools and facilities. Shops and restaurants are in close proximity.
Popular Attractions
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Summerstrand The African Penguin Rehabilitation Center is used for the rescue and rehabilitation of the endangered African Penguin, other marine birds and marine animals.
The center is equipped with a receiving area, ICU, washing, drying and pool facilities and provides opportunities for research as well as an education centre.
Visitors can view the rehabilitation process without disturbing the animals and enjoy watching the feeding of penguins in the finishing pool. There is also a pleasant coffee shop for relaxing with tea or coffee and cake afterwards.
Shopping Malls
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Walmer Walmer Park Shopping Centre offers everything under one roof. Clothing, home interior, jewellery, grocery, stationery, pet, music shops as well as various eating establishments and movie theatre.
www.walmerparkshoppingcentre.co.za
Beaches
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Schoenmakerskop The pretty coastal village of Schoenmakerskop is perfect for families offering a number of picnic spots, coves, rock pools and a few small sandy beaches. The sandy coves provide safe paddling for little kids. Look out for playful schools of dolphins who frequently surf the waves.