EXPLORE Plettenberg Bay

Inhabited for thousands of years, by Middle Stone Age man, and later by the ancestors of the Khoisan people, the area of present day Plettenberg Bay still holds many relics of this bygone era. The Nelson Bay Cave and Matjies River Cave are still being excavated to this day and have provided much evidence of the previous inhabitants of the area.

Before Jan van Riebeeck made it to the area, it was explored by Portuguese sailors like Bartolomeu Dias and Manuel de Perestrelo. After the São Gonçalo sank in the bay in 1630, 100 sailors were marooned in the area before constructing 2 vessels to help them link with passing ships. In 1776 the bay housed barracks for the Dutch East India Company, after which the Governor of the Cape, Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, renamed the town Plettenberg Bay in 1779.

Since then the town has grown substantially. A whaling station was opened on Beacon Island in 1916, where one can still see parts of the iron slipway today. Today, the area that once housed the whaling station is the iconic Beacon Isle Southern Sun Resort, which was opened in 1972.

Today the area provides a multitude of accommodation options, which will easily satisfy the fussiest of travellers. The beach environment lends to relaxation as well as an abundance of exciting activities that are easily accessible. It is a popular destination for all those looking to get away from the metropolis of Johannesburg, or experience a different kind of coastal holiday, far away from Cape Town

If you are looking for relaxed and calming activities, then enjoy a stroll on one of the best beaches in the Western Cape, a round at one of the many spectacular golf courses or experience some tasting at Plett's very own wine estate. Plettenberg Bay attracts a plethora of visitors and thus has a large quantity of different types accommodation. If you're looking for luxury, enjoy one of the many hotels on offer, or stay at your choice of up market B&B's or Guesthouses. For something a bit more relaxed and easy on the budget, then you truly are spoiled for choice with a wide variety of self-catering apartments, houses and more, as well as several, highly respectable backpackers.

 

With the coastal town being very popular among tourists and locals alike, the town has always got something going on, and should you wish to have a seaside wedding or function, there are very few places in the country that can match the beauty of Plettenberg Bay.