The Best of... Sun & Surf

South Africa's 3000 km coastline contains a huge number of beautiful beaches. From the warm waters of the Indian Ocean in the east (in which one may swim all year round) to the colder waters of the Western Cape, the country's beaches offer plenty of choice - and great opportunities to lie in the sun and tan.

Here is a quick guide to the South Africa's top seaside areas:

The Cape Peninsula

Both the Atlantic and False Bay shores offer great swimming on fine, white, sandy beaches, although the Atlantic waters are considerably colder than anywhere else. Along the False Bay coastline, Muizenberg, the Strand, St James's, Fish Hoek and Simon's Town are the best places to swim.

On the Atlantic side of the Peninsula, Clifton- home of the bikini-clad beautiful people - Hout Bay and Kommetjie (for surfers) are the best known beaches - (See Cape Town)

Along the Garden Route

The stunning Garden Route coastline contains some of the country's finest beaches, offering great surfing and water sport opportunities. Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are the pick of the many holiday resorts along this picturesque and rocky shoreline. (See Garden Route)

The Eastern Cape

Jeffrey's Bay, west of Port Elizabeth, is world renowned among surfers for its 'perfect wave'. Nearby St Francis Bay, at the mouth of a river, offers matchless windsurfing and parasailing opportunities.

Port Elizabeth, the sunniest city in SA and a popular family destination, has several superb beaches, including Humewood, King's Beach and Hobie Beach.
North of Port Elizabeth is the Sunshine Coast, including the safe, river-based resorts of Port Alfred and Kenton on Sea

East London, to the north-east, also has many spectacular beaches, among them Eastern Beach and Nahoon Beach, both renowned for their waves - (See Eastern Cape)

The Wild Coast

The most secluded, pristine and beautiful sands in South Africa are to be found along the aptly-named Wild Coast, stretching from East London to Port Edward. Relatively inaccessible, except by car or small plane, the Wild Coast offers some wonderful family holiday facilities, great swimming and surfing, excellent fishing and many water sport opportunities. Haga Haga, Morgan Bay, Mazeppa Bay and Coffee Bay are some of the better-known resorts along the coast. - (See Eastern Cape)

KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast

Stretching from Port Edward up to Durban, the South Coast's warm waters make the area South Africa's most popular holiday playground. Southbroom, Margate, Ramsgate, Port Shepstone, Umkomaas and Amanzimtoti are the main shark-protected bathing resorts along this year-round holiday coastline, which also offers many excellent golf courses nearby.

Durban is the country's holiday Mecca, offering sun & surf, entertainment & fun along the famous 'Golden Mile' beachfront. Surfing is a major sporting activity in Durban - (See KZN South Coast, Durban)

KwaZulu-Natal's North Coast

The Dolphin Coast, from Durban to the Tugela River, is fringed by sugar-cane plantations and thickly forested coastal dunes and home to large schools of bottle-nosed dolphins - hence its name. Distinctively different in character from those of the South Coast, the beaches of the Dolphin Coast, with their rock pools and protected swimming areas, are particularly suited to young families. Among the most popular are those at fashionable Umhlanga Rocks, Ballito, Salt Rock, Sheffield Beach and Zinkwazi.

Further north beyond Richard's Bay, the country's second busiest deep-water port, is the marine and wetland reserve of St Lucia - stretching from Mapelane to the coral reefs of Sodwana Bay, and beyond to Kosi Bay. This pristine area of lagoons, estuaries, tropical forest and splendid, secluded beaches offers marvellous opportunities for anglers, snorkellers and scuba-divers. -
(See KZN North Coast)

Wavescape: Surf and Surfing in South Africa - www.wavescape.co.za