Also referred to as the Bay, Port Elizabeth is a big city in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa, specifically located 770 kilometers to the east of Cape Town. The city is often nicknamed the Windy City or the Friendly City, which offers tourists a great variety of beaches, wildlife destinations, museums, memorials, as well as historical and cultural venues. With these things in mind, the city is definitely a great choice of destination for a holiday.
Sightseeing destinations in Port Elizabeth
Situated at the end of the picturesque Garden Route, the city offers a lot of interesting places for you to see. Aside from the popular swimming beaches, such as Hobie Beach and King’s Beach, there are also numerous local historic attractions that line the Donkin Heritage Trail, including the Campanile, city hall, Donkin Reserve and the Fort Frederick. Other attractions include the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, St George’s Park, Humewood Museum and Oceanography Room, and the Boardwalk.
As for the wider area that surrounds Port Elizabeth, it offers you game-viewing opportunities in its great parks and whale-watching adventures on its waters.
Top tour activities in Port Elizabeth
To ensure a more enjoyable and memorable experience in this city, these things to do should be included in your itinerary:
- Game-Viewing - Port Elizabeth is known as a great jump-off spot for game-viewing. A good place to be for this activity is the Addo Elephant National Park, where there are elephants, birds and other animals that you can view living in their natural habitats. It is also a great area for viewing marine life, including whales, dolphins and penguins.
- Scuba Diving - There are popular scuba diving sites in Port Elizabeth, such as St Croix Island, which is just 20 kilometers from the harbor. The best time for diving is said to be during the winter months, when visibility is between eight and fifteen meters.
- Whale-Watching - During the South African whale season, you will get the chance to see humpback and southern right whales moving along the coast of the port on a whale-watching cruise. Aside from these majestic sea creatures, you can also spot various kinds of dolphins, cape fur seals, various shark species, cape gannets, African black oystercatchers, various cormorant species and a variety of birds.
Top tour attractions in Port Elizabeth
Do not miss these attractions during your holiday in this beautiful city:
- Addo Elephant National Park - The 3rd biggest national park in South Africa encompassing more than 444,000 acres of land, this area offers nature lovers a taste of African safari. This park also covers offshore islands that serve as important breeding sites for African penguins and cape gannets. Originally, it was established in 1931 to preserve the last 11 South African bush elephants from extinction, and today, it houses more than 600 of these animals, along with black rhinos, cape buffalos, leopards, lions, spotted hyenas, zebras, antelopes and a variety of birds.
- The Boardwalk - This attraction is a convention center and leisure resort on an artificial lake, where you can browse specialty stores, dine at restaurants and enjoy entertainment at certain venues.
- South End Museum - This museum is located on Port Elizabeth’s beachfront and traces the history of the Apartheid in this area. Personal stories of that time are brought to life here through photographs, newspaper clips and recreations of living spaces.
Port Elizabeth sightseeing tours and activities
It would be fantastic to see and experience what the city has to offer, so check out all Port Elizabeth sightseeing tours and activities here at La Vacanza Travel.