Things to Do in St Francis Bay

On the tip of Cape St Francis and sandwiched between a plethora of coastal holiday houses is the lovely Cape St Francis Nature Reserve. This sanctuary is not only rich in botanical and animal life; it offers unhindered views of the ocean. Here the endangered coastal dune forest and fynbos is preserved from further development, providing a home for bushbuck, grysbok, duiker, porcupine, bushpig, monkey, mongoose, caracal and otter. Twitchers will find plenty to tick off here with 200 bird species recorded. A delightful hiking trail leads to a superb viewpoint and it’s easy to lose yourself for many hours within the reserve. Bottlenose and common dolphins can often be seen surfing the breaks and southern right whales winter offshore during August to November.

Paradise Beach is a long sandy beach situated between Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay (7 km west of Jeffreys Bay and 7 km east of St Francis Bay). It’s actually a suburb of J-Bay but is relatively untouched by development. Surrounded by nature reserves and estuaries, you can often spot tiny buck, tortoises, numerous birds, rabbits, mongoose and otters – all much loved by locals. It’s an awesome place for windsurfers and kite boarders with good wind all year round. A not-yet-discovered windsurfing and kite surfing spot! Paradise Beach is one of the coastal towns where you are guaranteed to spend a relaxing day on a pristine white beach. The name explains it all – it really feels like paradise.

Full Stop Pub and Grill is a vibey watering hole where locals and visitors to Cape St Francis hang out, enjoy drinks, braai, grab a pizza or play pool. The pub has a pool table, big dance area, and a very big bar of course! Full Stop also has an outside area with lapa and braai facilites.

Only a surfer truly knows the feeling! If you’re in ‘J-Bay’ to catch the tubes or even if you’ve never tried surfing, the Quicksilver Store on De Gama Road is worth a visit. It is home to the highly informative Jeffrey’s Bay Surf Museum which tells the story of how surfing started in J-Bay and how the town has developed over the past 50 years. There are many reasons why this surf-driven town just had to have a surf museum. Essentially, Jeffrey’s Bay is one of the top surfing destinations on the planet. Supertubes, the famous point break right-hander, is the dream destination of every young surfer – the perfect wave often accompanied by dolphins. J-Bay is the place where the top 44 international surfers compete every year for the WCT world contest surfing tour. Along with local lore, the museum also documents the history of surfing globally and pays tribute to many pioneers and legends. Walk through this museum and feel the magic that exists between the surfer and the ocean. Entrance to the museum is free! Open Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00, Saturday 09:00 – 14:00 and Sunday 09:00 – 13:00. +27 (0) 84 240 1741

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.

Situated just 25 kilometres from the Port Elizabeth beachfront and associated attractions, Seaview Game and Lion Park offers a unique experience. Visitors can play with tame lion cubs varying in age from four to nine months depending on the time of year. Along with this rare interaction, guests can have a close-up viewing experience of wildlife such as giraffe, zebra, antelope, jackals and wildebeest in their natural habitat. Lynx, warthogs and meerkat live in large, individual enclosures in the sanctuary area. Enjoy lunch or afternoon tea in the restaurant taking in the panoramic views of the wildlife to the north and ocean to the south. Whales and dolphins can often be spotted from this vantage point. From the restaurant there is an elevated boardwalk where you can view the animals at close quarters. Open daily 08:00 – 17:00 Lion feeding time is on Sunday at 12:00 +27 (0) 41 378 1702

At Kragga Kamma Game Park just outside Port Elizabeth all the animals roam freely in natural surroundings. This owner-operated park allows no hunting or other disturbances and that means you can always get close-up views and great photo opportunities of the animals.Lush coastal bush and grassland is home to vast herds of African wildlife including white rhino, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, nyala, bontebok, impala and many more species.Knysna loeries are plentiful and more than 200 species of wild birds and waterfowl have been documented.The Kragga Kamma Game Park is open every day from 08:00 to 17:00 for entry. Gates are locked at 19:00 in summer and 18:00 (from 1 April) in winter.Visitors are welcome to drive around on the well-maintained roads in their own vehicle or opt for a two hour game drive with a professional guide.Also on offer is an up-close interaction with Duma, the tame cheetah. Duma's pen is situated at The Bush Café, which serves light meals and beverages.Bush Café: +27 (0)41 379 5646

Varsvlei Commonage is the venue for the annual Northern Arts Festival. This unique event celebrates the heritage and culture of Nelson Mandela Bay and the broader Eastern Cape. Growing bigger and better every year, organizers focus on keeping it fun as well as bridging the divide between community development and the arts.

The congenial atmosphere of Walmer Country Club and the challenging course present an attractive golfing experience in the leafy suburb of Walmer, Port Elizabeth. Dense coastal scrub, tree lined fairways and the prevailing winds all contribute to testing amateur players. The standard 18-hole course has fairways running mostly in westerly or easterly directions. The first shot starts with a demanding Par 4, frequently into the teeth of south-westerly gales. Walmer Country Club house offers a restaurant, Pro shop, modern changing rooms and golf cart hire. +27 (0) 41 581 3401 1 Victoria Drive, Walmer, Port Elizabeth

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

Greenacres Shopping Centre is situated in the heart of Port Elizabeth, the economic hub of the Eastern Cape. This trendy shopping mecca forms part of a one-kilometre complex that entices visitors from afar to indulge in retail therapy. Two choices in parking facilities are on offer. There is an outdoor parking space and a three-level parking facility with over 1000 parking bays situated on the Northern side of the building. Two levels of this facility are undercover, while the rooftop is open. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 – 18:00 Friday 09:00 – 19:00 Saturday 08:30 – 17:00 Sunday and Public Holidays 09:00 – 14:00 Selected tenants and food outlets trade longer hours for your convenience. Banking Hours: Nedbank Monday to Friday 08:30 – 16:00 Saturday 08:30 – 12:00 First National Bank Monday to Friday 09:00 – 15:30 Saturday 08:30 – 11:00 Rennies Foreign Exchange Monday to Friday 08:30 – 16:30 Saturday 08:30 – 12:00.

Founded in 1890, the Port Elizabeth Golf Club is one of the oldest in South Africa. Over 100 years later many of the holes still have the same routing! Today the 6121 metre layout features significant changes including bent grass greens, 25 strategically placed bunkers, and two nines of par 36 for a total par of 72. Well established trees, palm trees, strelitzias and lush plantings line the fairways. The two signature holes, the 8th and 17th holes, feature distinctive water features. The vibrant club house offers multi-functional lounges, bars and modern change room facilities with a sauna. +27 (0) 41 374 3140 bookings@pegolf.co.za Westview Drive, Mill Park, Port Elizabeth

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.

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.

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.

Discover the magic of the Karoo with a unique wilderness experience at the exclusive 5-Star Blaauwbosch Private Game Reserve. Bordering the Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape, the reserve offers malaria-free wildlife viewing of a wide variety of game. Professional rangers will introduce you to lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard, rhino, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, antelope, abundant birdlife and rare flora on interesting game drives. An awesome thing to do is go on a walking safari to shadow cheetah as they prowl for their prey.

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.

A symbol of our freedom and unconventional in terms of museum design, the Red Location Museum is definitely worth a visit. Red Location is one of the oldest townships of Nelson Mandela Bay, named for the corrugated iron barrack buildings which have rusted to a deep red. Many famous political and cultural leaders lived in Red Location and a number of significant ‘struggle’ events occurred during Apartheid. Museum visitors are treated as active participants rather than consumers. The past is represented as a set of memories, disconnected yet bound together by themes using the concept of the Memory Box. This was inspired by the boxes that migrant labourers used for storing their precious possessions when separated from their families. Red Location also draws together the strands of struggle that commemorate the efforts by different groups to free themselves. The museum complex includes an art gallery, market, a creative arts centre, library, adult literacy centre and a conference venue. Corner Olof Palme and Singaphi Streets, New Brighton +27 (0)41 408 8400 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 - 16:00 Saturday at Sunday 09:00 - 15:00.

Be enchanted by the Harley-Davidson purr and graceful moves of the spotted felines at the Daniell Cheetah Breeding Project. This once-in-a-lifetime experience offers an interesting, personalised tour and the chance to interact with the cheetah. Visitors are encouraged to touch the cats and have photographs taken with a few of them. Established in 2001, the project started with only three cats and has grown in leaps and bounds. The maintenance of pure genetic lines and public awareness of the importance of conserving this amazing species is the chief focus. The Cheetah Walk experience costs R150 and includes a slice of cake and beverage at the Padstal. Walks need to be booked at least two days in advance. Children 12 years of age and older are allowed to participate. Open seven days a week, the Daniell Cheetah Breeding Project can be found on the R75 National Highway 80 kilometres from Port Elizabeth Airport. On site is The Padstal offering light meals, refreshments and a gift shop. +27 (0) 42 2320 539

Fascinating but fearsome to some folk, reptiles are always a hit with kids. The Bayworld Snake Park has been around since 1919 and is home to numerous reptiles, many of which are indigenous to the Nelson Mandela Bay area. The slithery and scaly collection includes the longest species of snake in the world, the deadliest snake in Africa and a cunning snake that pretends to be dead so as to avoid being attacked. There are also some of the common species which you might find in your back garden while staying in the Bay. Informative signs help you identify the snakes so if you do happen to meet one of them, you’ll know whether it is dangerous or not. Along with the amazing snakes, you will also be able to see lizards, crocodiles, tortoises and terrapins. Open 09:00 – 16:30 every day of the year, except on Christmas Day, 25 December.