Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape, a land of undulating hills, expansive sandy beaches, majestic mountain ranges and emerald green forests, is the second-largest of the nine provinces by surface area. The region boasts a remarkable natural diversity, ranging from the dry, desolate Great Karoo; to the lush forests of the Wild Coast and the Keiskamma Valley; the fertile Langkloof, renowned for its rich apple harvests; and the mountainous southern Drakensberg region at Elliot.

The Eastern Cape’s main feature is its spectacular coastline lapped by the Indian Ocean. With its long stretches of pristine sandy beaches, rocky coves, secluded lagoons and towering cliffs, the coastline provides the province with an unsurpassed natural tourist attraction.

The graceful curve of Algoa Bay provides an ideal setting for the port of Port Elizabeth. East London offers equally favourable harbour facilities. The province is serviced by three airports situated in Port Elizabeth, East London and Mthatha.

Province profile

• Grahamstown, the City of the Saints, is a historical, educational and religious centre and venue for the annual National Arts Festival.
• The pachyderms of the Addo Elephant National Park are popular with tourists.
• The Eastern Cape has been selected as the national pilot for the implementation of biofuels, through the mass planting of canola.
• Ostrich exports are flourishing and the provincial Department of Agriculture has been hailed for the support it is giving this industry.
• The province is the hub of South Africa’s automotive industry.
• The Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), 20 km east of the Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage metropoles, was the first IDZ to be earmarked, and is one of the biggest initiatives ever undertaken in South Africa.
• The province boasts long stretches of beautiful beaches.

The Eastern Cape has almost seven million people living on 169 580 km2 of land. The majority of the people speak isiXhosa, followed by Afrikaans and English.
The architecture of many of its cities and towns reflects the rich heritage of its people. Important towns in the province include Bhisho, the capital; Uitenhage, which has important motor vehicle-manufacturing and related industries; King William’s Town, rich in early settler and military history; Grahamstown, also known as the City of Saints because of its more than 40 churches; Graaff-Reinet, with its interesting collection of historic buildings; Cradock, the hub of the Central Karoo; Stutterheim, the forestry centre of the province; Aliwal North, famous for its hot sulphur springs; and Port St Johns, the largest town on the Wild Coast.

In the Eastern Cape, various floral habitats meet.

Along the coast, the northern tropical forests intermingle with the more temperate woods of the south. This makes for an interesting forest habitat of various species endemic to this region. Age-old forests occur at Keiskammahoek, Dwesa, Port St Johns and Bathurst; dune forests are found at Alexandria; and mangroves along the Wild Coast. Rolling grasslands dominate the eastern interior of the province, while the western central plateau is savanna bushveld. The northern inland is home to the aromatic, succulent-rich Karoo.

Accommodation

The Eastern Cape has a wide selection of accommodation establishments, ranging from backpacker hostels, bread and breakfasts, boutique hotels, country houses, guest-houses, hotels, lodges, and national parks to resorts.

Tourism and leisure

The main feature of the Eastern Cape is its magnificent coastline. With its wide open sandy beaches, secluded lagoons and towering cliffs, the Indian Ocean coastline provides the province with a rich natural tourist attraction, which is also a paradise for watersports enthusiasts.

Added to the diverse coastal experiences are more than 60 state-owned game reserves and more than 30 private game farms, which collectively cover an area greater than the Kruger National Park.

Amatola mountain region

The Amatola mountains are famous for their scenery and history, and stretch from Adelaide in the east to Stutterheim in the west. With its lush forests and ancient battlefields, it is an area steeped in Xhosa culture and early settler history.

The coastal city of Port Elizabeth, which has earned the name ‘Friendly City’, is a superb holiday destination, offering a diverse mix of eco-attractions. The city boasts various scuba-diving sites. Visitors can also visit Bay World with its oceanarium and snake park, and many splendid museums. Other attractions include the Greater Addo Elephant National Park and game reserves; the traditional healing village, Kaya Lendaba; birdwatching; air tours; canoeing; various mountain-bike and horse-riding trails; and organised outdoor excursions. Within the city there are some beautiful parks with well-landscaped gardens.

Wild Coast

Since Portuguese mariners first pioneered the sea route around the Cape to India, this notorious coast has claimed countless ships. Southern right and humpback whales and their calves are regularly spotted from the high dunes, usually between May and November, while common and bottlenose dolphins are often seen close to shore. The entire region, once known as the ‘Transkei homeland’, is the home of a major section of the Xhosa-speaking southern Nguni (or Pondo) tribes. Brightly coloured examples of their beadwork, together with traditional pottery and basketry can be bought from roadside vendors and at some trading posts.

Visitors to the rural village of Qunu can view the childhood home of former President Mandela. In the city of Mthatha, the Nelson Mandela Museum tells the story of this great figure.

To the south is the prominent rock formation, the Hole in the Wall. The local Xhosa call this place Izi Khaleni (Place of the Thunder). During high tide, the waves move through the hole in such a way that the concussion can be heard throughout the valley.

Karoo

The vast plains of the Karoo have an air of grandeur and its many picturesque towns are steeped in history.

The Owl House in Nieu Bethesda displays the creative talent of the late Helen Martins. Statues of mermaids, wise men, camels, owls and churches create a wonderland in the garden. All the artworks were created with broken bottles, bits of mirror and cement.

More than 200 houses in Graaff-Reinet have been restored to their original Victorian appearance, and proclaimed national monuments. The Old Library Museum houses the Lex Bremner Fossil Collection of Karoo reptile fossils and a collection of Khoi and San art reproductions. Urquhart House has a popular genealogical research centre.

Almost 50 km south-west of Graaff-Reinet is the Kalkkop Crater, a gigantic circular impact that is of major scientific importance.

To the north-west of Graaff-Reinet lies the Valley of Desolation. A steep and narrow road leads into the mountains that surround the valley. The Valley of Desolation is a national monument within the Karoo Nature Reserve, and was formed millions of years ago by weathering erosion.

The first evidence of the presence of dinosaurs in South Africa can be viewed at Maclear.

N6 Route

This route runs from Bloemfontein to East London. Popular attractions include the slopes of the Tiffindell Ski Resort and the streams filled with trout, as well as the many caves adorned with ancient rock art.

Several historic towns can be found in the region, including Barkly East, Rhodes, Lady Grey, Elliot, Aliwal North, Burgersdorp and Queenstown.

Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast comprises miles of unspoilt sun-drenched beaches. Port Alfred lies at the mouth of the Kowie River. Coastal hills are home to the oribi – a small territorial buck that was recently near extinction.

East London, South Africa’s only river port city, was originally established as a supply port to serve the military headquarters at King William’s Town. The city’s own waterfront development, Latimer’s Landing, is situated on the banks of the Buffalo River. The East London Aquarium houses approximately 400 different marine and freshwater species. The East London Museum depicts the natural environment and rich heritage of the region. Best known for the prehistoric coelacanth, the museum also displays reconstructions of the extinct dodo of Mauritius, along with the only extant dodo egg in the world.

The Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area is the largest of the inland protected areas and provides opportunities to visit spectacular fynbos-covered mountains on foot or in off-road vehicles.

Tsitsikamma

This region, stretching from Plettenberg Bay to Jeffreys Bay, is renowned for its dense forests, majestic mountains and deep river gorges. It forms the eastern end of the Garden Route.

South Africa’s first marine park, the Tsitsikamma National Park, extends along a rocky coastline of 50 km, and 3 km out to sea.

Inland, adventure seekers will find deep gorges and temperate evergreen forests criss-crossed by six hiking trails, including the five-day Otter Trail. The varied wildlife includes dolphins and whales, caracal, genet, chacma baboon, dassie and mongoose. Another popular adventure is a black-water tubing experience on the Storms River.

Contact details

Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Private Bag X0047, Bhisho, 5605
Office of the Premier Building, 2nd Floor, Independence Avenue, Bhisho
Tel: (040) 609 6458
Fax: (040) 635 1166
Website: www.ecprov.gov.za

Eastern Cape Tourism Board

www.ectourism.co.za