Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth is fondly referred to as "The Friendly City". A superb value-for-money holiday base, Port Elizabeth offers a diverse selection of attractions as a family-fun holiday destination including eco-attractions, scenic nature trails, historic heritage, magnificent wildlife, cultural experiences and countless water sport activities.
Algoa Bay's 40 km of breathtaking coastline boasts a perfect combination of warm water, protected beaches and is complemented by Port Elizabeth's wonderful climate, which has been rated as having the fourth best weather of any coastal city in the world. The area also supports the most diverse array of vegetation types in South Africa as five of the country's seven terrestrial biogeographic areas are represented in the Eastern Cape.
Main destinations
Cape Town
Kruger Park
Johannesburg
Sun City
St Lucia
Garden Route
Durban
Pretoria
By Province
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West Province
Western Cape
Port Elizabeth's most popular attraction consists of a complex on the beachfront that includes the Oceanarium, a museum, and a snake park. The Bayworld Oceanarium is famed for its performing Bottlenose dolphin shows, enjoyed by thousands every year. Besides the large dolphin pool with its underwater viewing area, the oceanarium also features an aquarium tank where visitors can watch a vast array of marine life
South Africa
Cities
Cape Town
Johannesburg
Durban
Pretoria
Port Elizabeth
Attractions
Kruger National Park
Garden Route
St Lucia
Drakensberg
Wild Coast
Battlefields
Sun City & Pilanesberg
Provinces
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West province
Western Cape
Northwest of Market Square is the Donkin Reserve, a small park which Sir Rufane Donkin caused to be laid out in 1820. The lighthouse (1861) is now occupied by a Military Museum with a display of uniforms, medals and weapons. Beside the Museum is a pyramid commemorating Sir Rufane Donkin's wife, after whom the city is named.
This City is known by many descriptive names, such as the 'Settler's City' in memory of the huge part it played when it was still a frontier town. Also the 'City of Saints' on account of the number of churches, the 'City of Schools' as it is renowned for its many excellent schools and of course its University, and then also the 'Sleepy Hollow'. The latter, apparently because it lies in a warm hollow in the hills, but perhaps more aptly when the schools and University are on vacation and the world famous Winter Arts Festival is not in full swing.
Grahamstown accommodation
Port Elizabeth’s architectural heritage can be traced by taking a walk around the central city Market Square, which features several historic buildings. The centrepiece of the square is the aesthetically pleasing City Hall, dating from 1858, topped with an attractive clock tower. Also in the square is a replica of the Diaz Cross that commemorates the first European to set foot in Algoa Bay in 1488, when Dutch explorer Bartholomew Diaz stopped over on his way east.
The multi-award winning private game reserve of Shamwari lies less than an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth and has been responsible for re-introducing numerous species into the Eastern Cape plains, including all of the Big Five - lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo