Eastern Cape Provincial Article - South African Vacations

earning the coast its name of Wild Coast. However, its inhabitants call it the
“pearl” in the crown of the Eastern Cape. Former inhabitants include the
ancient San and Khoi-Khoi, who hunted hippopotami in the area and left proof
of their occupancy in the many rock paintings, the Nguni tribes from the
north and European seafarers, who worked hard to make the coastline
navigable and the land more accommodating, all left their indelible mark on
the area.
Notable landmarks of the region include the “Hole-in-the-Wall” near Coffee
Bay; Umtata, an important centre of Xhosa culture and home of the new
Nelson Mandela Museum; Mvezo, the birthplace of Nelson Mandela and Qunu
where he grew up, now the site of the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage
Centre and Community Museum.
COFFEE BAY
Many believe this seemingly untouched bay to be haunted by the ghosts of
shipwrecked sailors after the treacherous Wild Coast proved to be their
undoing. The town owes its name to a coffee-bearing ship that ran aground
here and to the cask of coffee beans that washed ashore and quickly took
root. Unfortunately none of the plants survived for long. The 1-km-long
beach is littered with cowries and other exotic shells and is ideally suited
for long walks, swimming and fishing.
ADVENTURE AND SPORT
Golf: Enjoy a game of golf on the windswept nine-hole course, set high above
the cliffs that guard the bay’s northern shore.
Shelling: Coffee Bay beach is renowned for its many shells found, especially
at rocky points where they pile up in pockets at the low tide mark. Be on the
look out for rare cowries.
Water-sport: Swimming, fishing, board-sailing, spear-fishing and power-boating
(on the Nenga River) are among the most popular outdoor activities at Coffee
Bay. Surfing is another popular pastime, with the breakers off the bay’s
southern point providing one of the few consistent surfing waves on the Wild
Coast.
Wild Coast Horse and Hiking Trail: An exciting development in the region is
the establishment of the 280-km-long Wild Coast Horse and Hiking Trail, a
Wild Coast Community Tourism initiative and collaborative project between
coastal communities, local government and the Provincial Directorate of
Environmental Affairs. The popular, old Wild Coast Hiking Trail has been
regenerated and upgraded to maximise the participation of coastal
communities in tourism activities along the trail. The Wild Coast Horse and
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