Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth Map

Referred to by many as 'The Friendly City', Port Elizabeth is a major seaport and tourist destination known for its sunshine, safe sandy beaches and thriving nightlife. This small coastal city located along South Africa's east coast, is 800km from Cape Town.

Known to South Africans as 'PE', Port Elizabeth's clean beaches and warm water make it a major water sports venue. The combination of calm waters and fair breezes are perfect conditions for sailing, and the safe beaches allow for swimming, surfing, body- boarding and any kind of water sport. In fact, 1995 saw PE successfully hosting the World Windsurfing Championships.

Scuba-diving enthusiasts can choose from a number of great spots with lots to see, such as shipwrecks, coral reefs and beautifully coloured fish in the warm waters with up to 30m visibility.

Attractions

One of the greatest attactions of Port Elizabeth is the easily accessible National Airport that connects the city to other centres in South Africa. With the start of the Garden Route only a few hours drive away, PE is a great place to start or end your journey.

For safari-lovers there are a number of wildlife reserves around Port Elizabeth, and just 73km from the city is the exclusive private Shamwari Game Reserve - home to Africa's Big Five.

Parks are another major attraction in PE, the largest being St Georges Park. St George's covers 73 hectares and is home to the world famous Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, the oldest bowling green in South Africa, Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial and the 1882 Victorian Pearson Conservatory.

Another famous park is Settlers Park. Settlers Park includes 54 hectares of cultivated and natural gardens in the valley of the Baakens River, with the many native plants and flowers attracting many colourful birds.

Port Elizabeth is also a city for animal-lovers, with dolphins performing at the Oceanarium, a snake park, and even a Horse Monument in town commemorating horses that suffered and died during the Boer War.

Weather & Climate

Visitors to Port Elizabeth will soon discover that the climate is one major contributor to the reputation of the area as offering an outstanding quality of life.

Temperatures are moderate all year round with rain scattered throughout the year. Summers having a very temperate humidity level, while winters are mild and pleasant.

Nearby

On the coast towards Plettenberg Bay you can catch a few waves at a surf spot in Jeffreys Bay or play a round of golf in St. Francis Bay. In the other direction, the coastal towns of Kenton On Sea, Port Alfred and Great Fish Point, as well as the historical Grahamstown make exciting daytrip destinations.

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