The KwaZulu Natal South Coast

South Coast

It is easy, when driv­ing through most of the South Coast area of KwaZulu Natal, to ima­gine that you have been trans­por­ted to a trop­ical island. Roads are edged with lush green veget­a­tion, or the ubi­quit­ous sugar cane and banana plant­a­tions. Towns such as Umkomaas, renowned for its angling, as well as a top class golf course, Shelly Beach, named for the pre­val­ence of shells found on beaches in the area, and Margate enjoy the year round bustle of tour­ists, as does Port Edward.

In fact, the cli­mate of this area is very much like a trop­ical island, and even in the middle of winter, it is not uncom­mon to see tour­ists on the beach, dressed not much more warmly than they would be in the sum­mer months. These beaches are often the first draw card for any vis­itor. The warm waters are enti­cing, and there are excel­lent waves in many places, mak­ing it ideal for surfers, body­boarders and other water sport enthusiasts.

When you do man­age to tear your­self away from the mocha-coloured sands, and seek other attrac­tions, one of the first could well be the wealth of excel­lent game reserves and nature con­ser­va­tion areas. With names such as Empisini, Mpenjati and Nyamazane, there can be no doubt as to the firmly entrenched Zulu cul­ture in the area.

South Coast

Possibly one of the most breath­tak­ing and fam­ous reserves how­ever must be the Oribi Gorge Reserve, man­aged by KZN Wildlife. This nat­ural gorge, formed over thou­sands of years of erosion by wind and water, is home to many animal spe­cies, includ­ing leo­pards, baboons and vari­ous ante­lope, as well as many bird spe­cies, includ­ing king­fish­ers. Ideal for nature enthusiasts.

Back at the beach, one can find many pristine reefs to be explored, includ­ing Arena Reef, Bo Boyi reef and Eel Skin reef. Experienced and novice divers alike can exper­i­ence many of these reefs, and there are a host of diving schools, where one can take les­sons and hire equip­ment, in the area.

The area also boasts sev­eral sanc­tu­ar­ies, includ­ing the Uvongo Bird park, and two cro­codile parks – Crocworld and Riverbend Crocodile farm, where these pre­his­toric creatures can be viewed up close and per­sonal. Another attrac­tion for rep­tile enthu­si­asts, or simply curi­ous vis­it­ors, is Pure Venom Snake Park.

If hik­ing is on the agenda, there are sev­eral in the area, offer­ing trails through forests, for example the Ngele, Oribi and Skyline trails, or along the beach front, and these all vary in length (some a few hours, oth­ers sev­eral days), facil­it­ies on offer, and requirements.

If you are look­ing for a cul­tural, rather than ath­letic exper­i­ence, the area is dot­ted with battle sites, Victorian era churches and graves, all of which can be vis­ited by the pub­lic, or per­haps plan a visit to the Art Museum in Margate, which show­cases local tal­ent, or the Port Shepstone mari­time museum, which chron­icles the areas ship­ping his­tory. There are also light­houses in the area, some of which are nat­ural monu­ments,. At the craft mar­kets, a vis­itor is spoilt for choice, and can find many local items to take home as souvenir a of their visit to this beau­ti­ful sec­tion of the South African coast.

Useful Links:
For addi­tional des­tin­a­tion info see:
South Coast Attractions & Destinations
South Coast Accommodation
KwaZulu Natal Accommodation