Things to do in Gqeberha
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Gqeberha
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer is warmest and busiest, with school holidays, peak prices and the strongest beach wind.
Autumn is the sweet spot, warm and calmer, with Splash Festival and Ironman weekends in April.
Winter is mild, quiet and best value, with whale season building and good Addo game viewing.
Whale season runs June to December, with southern right whales roughly July to October.
Spring brings Van Stadens wild flowers and shoulder prices, with wind building from October.
What's on
- ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship Usually a Sunday in April
Full distance triathlon based at Hobie Beach, with Marine Drive road closures and a full beachfront.
- Nelson Mandela Bay Splash Festival Easter weekend
The city Easter beach festival, with water sport, markets and live entertainment at the beachfront.
- St Croix penguin breeding peak March to May
The season when penguin island cruises most often see chicks, best paired with a SANCCOB visit.
Best things to do in Gqeberha
Hobie Beach
The Blue Flag social beach beside Shark Rock Pier, with dolphins often visible from the pier in the morning.
King's Beach
The long, broad family beach at the harbour end of the promenade, with a skate park and seasonal market area.
Donkin Reserve
A hilltop reserve with a pyramid, lighthouse and Route 67 art trail, and the best views over Algoa Bay.
South End Museum
A small museum telling how apartheid removals destroyed the mixed suburb of South End, through personal stories.
Bayworld
The beachfront museum and oceanarium, with a whale skeleton, sharks, seals, penguins and a reptile park.
No 7 Castle Hill
One of the oldest settler houses in the city, furnished as a mid Victorian family home from the 1820s era.
St George's Park
The oldest park in the city, with the Pearson Conservatory and a cricket ground dating to the first Test era.
The Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment World
The patrolled beachfront complex of casino, cinema, shops and restaurants, and the easiest evening option here.
Where to stay in Gqeberha
Summerstrand
first trip, beachfront and Boardwalk base
The main hotel strip by Hobie Beach, Shark Rock Pier and Pollock Beach, ten minutes from the airport.
Humewood
families, budget and mid range beachfront stays
The older beachfront suburb above King's Beach and Bayworld, with chain hotels and the backpackers.
Walmer
quiet guesthouse stay with a car, near the airport
A leafy inland suburb with Main Road restaurants, five minutes from the airport and ten from the sea.
Humerail
mid range bay view stay with a car
The small harbour side pocket below Humewood, overlooking Algoa Bay and a short drive to dinner.
Think twice about
- Central as an overnight base
Derelict buildings, rough sleeping in the park, uneven lighting and empty streets after dark. Visit the Donkin, Route 67 and museums in the morning, in a group or with a guide, and do not stay overnight.
- North End as a visitor base
No visitor reason to base there, a rougher street picture than the beachfront, and main roads in daylight only for passing through.
- R335 via Motherwell to Addo
Park directions advise avoiding this route for safety. Use the N2 via Colchester, or via Paterson to Main Camp.
- Isolated coastal parking at Cape Recife, Sardinia Bay and Van Stadens after dark
These coasts are isolated rather than busy. Go in company in daylight, leave nothing visible in the car, and finish trails before dark.
Best restaurants in Gqeberha
Muse Restaurant
The most creative table in the city, a small chef led contemporary restaurant on Main Road in Walmer.
Ginger The Restaurant
The fine dining room inside The Beach Hotel facing Hobie Beach, with the most polished beachfront service.
Kipling's Brasserie
The calm brasserie inside The Boardwalk Hotel, a reliable mid range dinner away from the casino floor.
Coachman on the Bay
A long running grill and seafood restaurant at Brookes on the Bay, a local family favourite for portions.
Nolio Italian Bistro
A Neapolitan leaning Italian bistro on Stanley Street, with pizzas and fresh pasta in a lively small room.
Savages Fine Food
A cafe and fine food store in a Victorian house by St George's Park, best for daytime breakfast and lunch.
Something Good Roadhouse
A retro roadhouse near Pollock Beach for burgers, shakes and breakfasts, used by surfers and families.
Barney's Tavern
A large unpretentious tavern at the Boardwalk, with pub food, seafood baskets and a beachfront deck.
Outdoor things to do in Gqeberha
Cape Recife Nature Reserve
Wild dunes, rocky shore and an 1851 lighthouse at the southern point of Algoa Bay, with a loop trail.
SANCCOB Gqeberha
The seabird hospital in Cape Recife where endangered African penguins are treated for release.
Sardinia Bay Beach
A long dune backed wild coast beach reached on the Sacramento Trail, for walking and sunset, not swimming.
Addo Elephant National Park
A malaria free self drive safari day from the city, for elephants, zebra, buffalo and antelope.
Kragga Kamma Game Park
A private game park 20 km from the centre, with giraffe, rhino, buffalo and zebra on a half day drive.
Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve
A free fynbos reserve above the Van Stadens gorge, with trails, bike routes and spring wild flowers.
Raggy Charters
The licensed Algoa Bay boat operator for penguin island, whale and dolphin cruises from the harbour.
Humewood Golf Club
A true links course from 1931 between the beachfront and Cape Recife, where wind is the main hazard.
Best hotels in Gqeberha
Radisson Blu Hotel, Port Elizabeth
The tall full service hotel by Pollock Beach, with sea views, a spa and a pool deck.
The Boardwalk Hotel
The five star hotel inside the Boardwalk complex, with a spa and pools and Hobie Beach a short walk away.
No5 Boutique Art Hotel by Mantis
A small art filled boutique hotel in a restored Summerstrand house, quieter than the big beachfront hotels.
The Beach Hotel
The long established hotel across from Hobie Beach and Shark Rock Pier, in the best walking position here.
Garden Court Kings Beach
A large reliable chain hotel above King's Beach, with sea facing and family rooms at fair prices.
SUN1 Port Elizabeth
The budget chain hotel near King's Beach, with small clean no frills rooms at the lowest hotel price here.
Lungile Backpackers
A beachfront backpackers on La Roche Drive, with dorms, private rooms, a pool and an Addo tour desk.
Hacklewood Hill Country House
A Victorian country house hotel in Walmer, with gardens, a pool and a fine dining room near the airport.
Is Gqeberha expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZAR 950 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZAR 2,400 a person |
| Splurge | ZAR 5,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Addo Elephant National Park: a few days ahead
- Raggy Charters: a few days ahead
- Humewood Golf Club: a few days ahead
- The Boardwalk Hotel: weeks ahead
- No5 Boutique Art Hotel by Mantis: weeks ahead
- Muse Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Ginger The Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Coachman on the Bay: a few days ahead
- Book Ironman weekend, December holiday and Muse, Ginger and Raggy Charters trips well ahead.
- Keep a weather backup day for every boat trip, as wind cancels more trips here than rain.
Is Gqeberha safe?
- South Africa has high levels of crime, including robbery, carjacking and mugging, especially in downtown areas after dark.
- Do not walk after dark or in isolated areas, and keep nothing visible in a parked car.
- Base in Summerstrand, Humewood or Walmer, visit Central in the morning in company, and ride hail at night.
- Emergency numbers are 10111 for police and 112 from a mobile phone.
Gqeberha travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not take the R335 to Addo because a map says it is shorter.
- Do not walk Route 67, the Donkin or the beach alone at dusk, and do not swim at Sardinia Bay.
Getting around Gqeberha: public transport and more
- The airport is about ten minutes from Summerstrand, and Uber and Bolt work door to door at night.
- You need a car or ride hailing, as there is no visitor useful transport between the beachfront, Central and the game parks.
- For Addo use the N2 via Colchester to Matyholweni Gate, never the R335 via Motherwell.
Who Gqeberha suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Gqeberha your trip
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