Make Merry in Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay was the stop­ping place of Bartholomew Diaz on his his­toric voy­age from Portugal, around the Cape of Good Hope, en route to the east, and still bears many indelible remind­ers of that epic voy­age, includ­ing the museum, which houses a rep­lica of his ves­sel, and the name of one of the most pop­u­lar beaches.

Located on the N2 high­way, halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay is a pop­u­lar sea­side des­tin­a­tion. Another piece of his­tory is pre­served in this small town, in the form of the Post Office tree, the first organ­ized postal ser­vice in the coun­try, used by sub­sequent sea trav­el­ers passing by to send and receive mes­sages to loved ones in Europe on the next passing ship. Other his­tor­ical attrac­tions worth a visit are the St Blaize light­house, a manned light­house built in 1864 and the Great Trek museum which chron­icles the epic jour­ney by early set­tlers at Hartenbos. But what about the present? Visitors to Mossel Bay will find there is lots to do besides explor­ing his­tor­ical sites ...

Enjoying one of the mild­est cli­mates in South Africa, as well as pristine white beaches and clear blue water, the oppor­tun­it­ies to sun­bathe, swim, and enjoy one of the many water sports on offer are lim­it­less. The tidal pool at the Point offers another way to cool down, or take a short drive to nearby Klein Brakrivier to swim in the river, take a river­boat trip, or just have a pic­nic on the banks, at one of the many resorts loc­ated here. Anglers too are spoilt for choice, with sec­tions of the coast being too rocky for sun­bathers, but per­fect for fish­ing. The area also boasts a recently com­pleted casino at Pinnacle Point, for those vis­it­ors who are feel­ing lucky, or per­haps a game of golf at the 18 hole Mossel Bay golf course, or the 9 hole Boggomsbaai course.

Gouritz Bridge bungee

For adren­aline junkies, the fun starts even before you reach town, with the 65m high Gouritz Bridge bun­gee jump­ing exper­i­ence loc­ated just out­side town on the N2 high­way from Cape Town. If that still does not sat­isfy the need for adven­ture, there are quad bike trails at Zingela Indlela Game farm, shark cage diving, para­sail­ing and deep sea fish­ing, or abseil­ing and kayak­ing at the fam­ous Diaz Beach resort.

For nature lov­ers there is hik­ing at Schaapplaas with a chance to view Khoi San rock art, pre­served on the rocky out­crops from cen­tur­ies ago, as well as 4 x 4 trails in the Outeniqua Mountains and moun­tain bik­ing on the Bonniedale nature farm. For some­thing a little out of the ordin­ary, and a real taste of indi­gen­ous cul­ture, there are town­ship tours on offer in the local Kwanaonqaba town­ship, where vis­its to a san­goma and she­been and the sampling tra­di­tional cuisine are all available.

With all these Things to Do in Mossel Bay and more avail­able, com­bined with excel­lent res­taur­ant choices, Mossel Bay accom­mod­a­tion options to suit any taste and budget, and a relaxed, friendly, small town atmo­sphere, it’s easy to see why Mossel Bay is such a pop­u­lar choice.

Related Pages:
Mossel Bay Attractions
Things to Do in Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay Accommodation
Mossel Bay Self Catering
Mossel Bay Guest Houses