9 Best Sights in Gqeberha, The Eastern Cape

The 137-meter (450-feet) long Shark Rock Pier is a Gqeberha landmark and definitely worth traversing for the view back towards Summerstrand it affords. It also marks one end of Hobie Beach, where sailing catamarans and jet skis launch, and where some of the city's best-loved annual sporting events and festivals are held. The section of beach nearest the pier is great for swimming and sunbathing, and there are also rock pools to explore; it can get very busy on a hot summer's day. With a view of the pier, Blue Waters Café serves very good food and is a great spot at sunset; you will doubtless also witness countless joggers making use of the long promenade strip that stretch along the seafront. There are plenty of restaurants along the other side of the promenade, including Ginger (offering what's considered the city's most upmarket dining) at the Beach Hotel; next door, the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World is a major draw for families, with places to eat, drink, shop, play, and even spend the night. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; sunbathing; walking.

Humewood Beach runs from King's Beach to Shark Rock Pier. This beach has fine white sand and is a great place for families, with shaded areas supplied by an overhead promenade. A convenient parking lot is behind the beach, and there are excellent facilities, including picnic tables, plus lifeguards on duty during peak times. Some grassy areas lead into Happy Valley, but it's not recommended that you walk into the valley, as it's often completely deserted and you may be in danger of being mugged. The beach slipway has a little reef, and the water beside it is great for snorkeling. Humewood Beach is close to the bustling Boardwalk Hotel and all its facilities (including a casino and mall) and the Beach Hotel, where Ginger Restaurant is located. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Within the bay and starting closest to the city center and harbor (which is best avoided), the first beach you come to is King's Beach, so named because King George VI slept in the Royal Train here during a visit to the city before World War II. You may want to avoid the far end of King's Beach, as it can get pretty crowded. The beach is one of three Blue Flag beaches in Gqeberha (along with Hobie Beach and Humewood Beach), meaning that it has met international standards of cleanliness, safety, and facilities. It's another very family-friendly beach, too. The Macarthurs Baths pool complex is along the promenade. The Garden Court King's Beach Hotel offers rooms with views across King's Beach. Amenities: lifeguard; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The section of beach near McArthur Baths is great for swimming and very popular. If you'd rather swim in flat water, head for the bath complex. Open from September through April, for a small fee you can use a range of pools, two of which are heated to a few degrees above sea temperature. There's no natural grass here, however, so you will need to rent a lounge chair to be comfortable. Amenities: lifeguard; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

Adjacent to the suburb of Summerstrand, Pollock Beach is one of the better swimming beaches, with a lovely small natural tidal pool. It also offers great surfing. (Generally the surfing in Gqeberha isn't too challenging, unlike at Jeffreys Bay, just over an hour's drive to the west, which has some pretty exciting waves.) The far end of Pollock Beach is best avoided, as it can get crowded with somewhat boisterous, picnicking, partying crowds. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; parking (free); toilets. Best for: partiers; surfing.

Consisting of 67 public artworks by the Eastern Cape's local artists, the route symbolizes the 67 years that the late Nelson Mandela dedicated to the South African fight for freedom. The route runs from the city center to Donkin Reserve and the old lighthouse above that overlook the harbor and the ocean beyond. Here there's a large pyramid built by the city's former governor Rufane Shaw Donkin in honor of his deceased wife, Elizabeth, for whom the city—originally called Port Elizabeth—was named. Stretching from the pyramid toward a towering South African flag is a long and colorful mosaic that references various important aspects of the historic and cultural legacy of the city and the Eastern Cape. Beneath the huge flag is a life-size metal cutout of Mandela (he was taller than you might think) with his fist raised in triumph, and snaking down the steps behind him is a line of South Africans (also life-size) of all ages, colors, and creeds lining up to vote in the 1994 elections. Sixty-seven colored steps lead from this point back to the city below, and along the way you'll find a number of inspiring quotes from Mandela on sheets of metal made to look like pages ripped from a book. Combined with all the other colorful wall paintings, sculptures, and texts, the route has both revitalized and contextualized some of the previously more run-down areas of central Gqeberha, and tells important stories about where South Africa came from and where it is headed.

For a truly fantastic Gqeberha beach experience, very little can beat Sardinia Bay Beach, outside the bay and about a 20-minute drive from the main beaches. Here, miles and miles of deserted, snow-white sand are great for long walks. It's best to come on weekends, however, as during the week it can be isolated and there have been a few incidents of muggings. On weekends there are plenty of people, and you will be perfectly safe. It's also a popular beach for scuba-diving and this part of the coast has been declared a marine reserve, so no fishing is allowed. There are also fire pits so come prepared for a braai. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; parking (free); toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

South End was once the most vibrant part of Gqeberha, until it was flattened by the apartheid-era government to "tidy up" the city and put everything and everyone in their places. At the South End Museum a map, photographs, and paintings give you an idea of what the old South End was like in its heyday.

If you'd like to glimpse penguins up close, this dedicated seabird rehab facility at the Cape Recife Nature Reserve offers informative small-group tours, on the hour, from 9 am until 2 pm. Guests learn about the habits and behaviors of African penguins, and watch them waddle, hear them squawk, and—during certain hours—see them being fed. The tour also offers insight into the many threats facing these endangered birds. Be sure to schedule time to explore the nature reserve, a coastal conservancy with excellent bird-watching, and a lighthouse built in 1849.