Port Alfred Favorites

Favorite thing: This thriving seaside resort and fishing village, situated at the mouth of the Kowie or Qoyi (rushing) River, is exactly half way between Port Elizabeth and East London. It was originally known as Port Kowie, renamed Port Frances and finally called Port Alfred to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria’s son in 1860. It is a water sports paradise, offering both excellent surf and a calm river surface for surfing, yachting and skiing. Visitors can enjoy walks along the long sandy beaches, or venture off in to the surrounding countryside for a round of golf or a wander along one of many excellent hiking trails. The 1820 Settlers made several attempts to turn the river mouth into a harbour, wrecking many ships in the process. The river was rerouted to flow below the west bank and when the government took over development, it was dredged to deepen it. The port was in its heyday for about twenty years, but fell into disuse in the 1890s. The harbour now houses small boats and is built up into the Royal Alfred Marina.

Favorite thing: The mountains of the Garden Route slip away into the hills of the Sunshine Coast, where rolling coastal pastures lead down to a legion of sand dunes and the challenge of the perfect wave. With more sunshine hours per year than any other part of South Africa, the warm Indian Ocean and over 500km of beaches, this could be a very easy place to park off in for a while.
This is a diverse and relatively undeveloped region. Inland lies Settler country, where the Xhosa, the British and the Boers battled for the right to claim pastures for their cattle. Itýs also here that the 1820 Settlers arrived, effectively doubling the white population of the country.
Now that frontier wars lie in the past, this is just a plain old beach mecca with some elephants and the Big Five thrown in for good measure.
Sensational beaches and world famous surfing spots litter the coastline, along with a treasure trove of rare and beautiful shells.

Favorite thing: Try "Crunchie Rocks" off the East Pier. Solid 6° barrel heaves up on the insanely hollow sand bank just off East Pier at Port Alfred. This wave delivers some epic stand-up tubes in the right conditions. It peaks in the river mouth and grinds all the way past the East Pier, with a thick lip rolling over a top-to-bottom barrel. The two most popular surf breaks are on either side of the Kowie River Mouth and are known as East and West Beach. East Beach is the most popular of the two, and has a good, gnarly right break that works best in modrate swells from the south, with SW or NW breezes. The East Beach break often ends up with a left breaking peak to make up some good close-out aerial stuff. West Beach has a beach peak that starts fairly close to the mouth with good left and right breaks.

Favorite thing: Port Alfred offers:

Beaches – Voted the best in South Africa. Long stretches of clean unspoilt white beaches with tidal pools and an abundance of shells where you can walk in solitude for miles at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Enjoy a sociable swim with other bathers at the popular beaches.

Fishing – Deep Sea, Rock, Surf and River – Deep sea charter trips are available

River Cruise – The Kowie is navigable for 28 kms. It flows from wild indigenous forests, through farmlands, past riverside homes, the small boat harbour with it numerous small boats and fishing fleet. Past the marina with its open-ended waterways and its graceful arched bridges linking four of its five islands and out into the Indian Ocean. Wonderful bird life – see the majestic fish eagles up the river.

Scuba Diving – Excellent year-round diving among some of the most colourful reefs of South African. A dive school offers courses and equipment for hire. Some of the well known sites are Deep Anchorage, Fountain Rocks and Janssens Rock.

Surfing and snorkeling

Golf – Royal Port Alfred and Fish River Sun Courses with magnificent sea views

Horse Trails - On the beach and in a nature reserve.

Kowie Canoe Trail – 21km up the Kowie River.

Hiking Trails – more than 10 to choose from

Bowls and Tennis

Relax on the patio of your room overlooking the small boat harbour. Watch the fishermen off loading the day’s catch, the sea gulls swooping down for food and the Egyptian Geese and many other bird species.

Favorite thing: Port Alfred with the Kowie river and
the Royal Alfred Marina

Favorite thing: Although the sea is safe to swim in, in Port Alfred, be wry and very careful of strong currents,many a sea going boat have been washed ashore by the current and even overturned in the Kowie mouth.

Favorite thing: Do take time to stroll along the lovely ,unspoilt beaches in Port Alfred.

Favorite thing: Sea and river meets at the breakwater