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South Africa Surfing Route |
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There is so much awesome surf in South Africa, you won?t quite know what to
do with yourself. But don?t despair ? just do it all. This trip is, obviously,
done with a car but you can do the whole coast on the Baz Bus, which will take
you and your board right to the door of a whole load of surfer-friendly
backpackers hostels.
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| Day 1 |
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Start off in Cape Town, where the shape of the peninsula and the different
prevailing winds and swells ensure that there is almost always something
surfable. Stay as long as you need to.
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| Day 2 |
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Find out what?s working, and if Elands Bay is, head up that way (you need a
car for this, it's on the West Coast).
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| Day 3 |
Head back to Cape Town.
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| Day 4 |
Start heading up the East Coast. If you?re driving ?
try Stilbaai. If you?re on the Baz Bus, head off to Mossel Bay, which can have
spectacular surf.
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| Day 5 |
After Mossel Bay, you could stop in Wilderness, which
can have some pretty good surf, or Knysna, which has no beach and no surf, but
which is really close to Buffels Bay, which is great. And the hostels will do
shuttles. Plett is only about 30km further on from Knysna and the surf is
good.
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| Day 6 |
Well ? obviously, Jeffrey?s Bay (J-Bay). This is where
it all happens. It?s a bit overdeveloped and the surf can be crowded but it?s
worth it. J-Bay Bay is probably the most popular surf destination on the coast,
which is not surprising as there are some awesome waves, including the iconic
Supertubes. Close by is the small town of St Francis Bay, where Bruce?s Beauties
(officially one of the top ten waves in the world) works, when it feels like it
? and when it does, you can follow the pilgrimage from J-Bay.
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| Day 7 |
Port Elizabeth doesn?t have anything to match J-Bay but
it?s a nice town with some cool little waves, and it?s worth stopping in en
route further up the coast.
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| Day 8 |
Your next stop could be Port Alfred, or Kowie, as the
locals call it. Take a walk down to the pier and, if it?s working, go wild. If
it isn?t, head off to East London. This sleepy little town has some of the best
and most consistent waves in the country.
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| Day 9 |
Stop in at Cintsa, which has some pretty cool surf and
a great backpackers, which is very surf-friendly.
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| Day 10 |
Kei Mouth is awesome.
Once you?ve crossed the Kei,
you?re on the Wild Coast, which is legendary. Travelling the Wild Coast,
traipsing down bumpy little roads, walking for miles with a board under your
arm, camping on the beach and searching for (and finding) that perfect wave is a
rite of passage for South African surfers. But you can also do it the easy way.
Whether you?re driving or on the Baz Bus, Coffee Bay is your best bet. There is
a mega-surfer-friendly backpackers and the waves are ..... well. Try and figure
out why one of South Africa?s top competitive surfers has retired to Coffee
Bay.
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| Day 11 |
If you can ever bring yourself to leave the ?Kei, you
might then want to head off to Durban, which is surf city deluxe but it?s worth
stopping over on the South Coast.
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| Day 12 |
Ok ? you?ve finally made it to Durban. There is almost
always surf, sometimes absolutely awesome surf, and the beach is right in the
town. If there are no waves, there should be something close by on either the
North or South Coast. And if there really is nothing surfable, you can visit the
country?s only surf museum ? right on the beach.
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| Day 13 |
| There are some pretty good spots on the North Coast, as
well ? Ballito has a surf-friendly backpackers, and there are some spots further
north but you?re starting to lose consistency.
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