Beaches - Bonanza of Beauty and Bliss

Overview Continued

Port Shepstone is a thriving, multi-cultural and amenity- filled commercial centre flanked by 18km of holiday hamlets and golden beaches...including safe ones. Umtentweni, Bendigo, Sunwich Port, Banana Beach and Umzumbe all boast long,beautiful golden beaches complete with shark nets. Most of these small and delightfully situated hide-aways feature caravan parks near the water's edge.One could walk along the next 6km of coastal bush through the Woodgrange Flats,but no marked trails exist so caution is advised. This would bring you, via Woodgrange-on-Sea, to a holiday town in its own right that offers all the attendant facilities of a fully-realised resort playground - Hibberdene. This heart of the central South Coast is regularly adorned with a blossoming abundance of iridescent Hibiscus blooms...a picture-perfect counterpoint to its glorious golden beaches.

Continuing north alongside seemingly endless pristine sands, the tucked away villages of Mtwalume, Ifafa Beach and Bazley Beach each offer total seclusion and safe ocean swimming...while Elysium, Sezela, Umdoni Park, Kelso and Happy Wanderers boast all the delights of unspoilt seaside charm without shark nets. All these idyllic destinations fall within the district of Pennington...the gateway to world-class golfing and wildlife experiences.

It's worth pointing out that the majority of so-called 'unprotected' beaches do have tidal pools and/or lagoons for a carefree cool down. And don't forget that prime fishing spots abound everywhere!

Park Rynie is a popular bathing beach and domestic getaway en route to the vibrant, beautifully situated resort town of Scottburgh. Fully shark-netted and manned year-round by lifeguards, the waves here are a great drawcard for surfing, body- and sail-boarding enthusiasts. A prominent headland offers many 'nooks and crannies' for the snorkeller to explore. About 6km of long, golden beach to the north, the historic Green Point lighthouse (and National Monument) marks the South Coast's original (but obviously no longer) 'Secret Spot' for surfers. No shark nets here, then, but safe swimming resumes at the adjacent former mission station of Clansthal, where caravan park and up-market holiday cottages are right on the beach. A few kilometres closer to Durban, the town of Umkomaas was an early holiday resort in the colonial era. Developed on a hill with spectacular sea views, it's now 'base camp' for scuba divers from around the world who converge on the acclaimed Aliwal Shoal. This kilometre-long underwater wonderland - plus the wrecks of ships it's brought to grief - attracts not only a wide variety of warm- and cold-water fish, but also many Ragged-tooth sharks. During the June to September peak of 'Raggy Season' a highly innovative underwater Web-cam transmits breathtaking scenes to the world-wide-web. Would-be adventurers need to complete an on-site course of instruction, but sea-borne excursions provide views without the demand to actually get wet! A string of seaside caravan parks at Karridene, Natalia, Illovo Beach, and Winkelspruit leads first to the shark-netted beaches of Ocean Call, St Winifreds, Warner Beach and Doonside, then the residential and seaside holiday town of Amanzimtoti .

Overview continued... || Beach Database

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