Coffee Bay, Wild Coast
Coffee Bay and the Hole in the Wall are virtually synonymous - mention the one and you picture the other - and one cannot describe the full extent of the beauty of this area of the Wild Coast without including the incredible natural phenomenon.
The hole is quite literally a geographical marvel. It is an offshore stack of rock through which the elements have eroded a hole. The hole is directly in the path of the Mpako River and it is this, rather than wind or the surf, that has eroded the hole. However, Xhosa mythology tells a far more romantic tale of the sea people, semi deities who look like humans but have supple wrists and ankles and flipperlike hands and feet. A beautiful girl living on the Wild Coast, in a village near a lagoon, cut off from the sea by a mighty cliff, was seen by one of the sea people who became overwhelmed by her beauty and tried to woo her. To cut a long story short: in dealing with the wrath of her father, the sea people enlisted the help of a huge fish who battered its way headfirst through the wall of rock. Through this hole spilled the sea people who swept the young Xhosa maiden away.
Coffee Bay was named after a ship that lost its cargo of coffee beans in a wreck off the Wild Coast and the beans were supposedly washed up on the beach to germinate there. These trees, if there were any to start with, are no longer visible but the name stuck. Not only is the kilometer-long beach safe for swimming, but the area off the bay’s southern point offers one of the few consistent surfing waves on the Wild Coast. This beach also has some of the rarest cowries washed up by the current.
Nearby activities include the Hluleka Nature Reserve, between Coffee Bay and Port St Johns, spearfishing, horse riding and golf.
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Featured Attractions in (or near) Coffee Bay
Hluleka Nature Reserve
The virtually undiscovered Hluleka Nature Reserve lies roughly 20 kilometres south of Port St Johns on South Africa’s Wild Coast, a part of the world most aptly described in terms of its rugged and natural unspoiled beauty. The nature reserve lies along a particularly tranquil part of the coast, south east of Mthatha ... more information
Hole In The Wall
The Hole in the Wall at Coffee Bay is a unique structure with a huge detached cliff that has a giant opening carved through its centre by the waves. The local Xhosa call this place "izi Khaleni", which means "place of thunder". During certain seasons and water conditions (high tide) the waves clap is such ... more information
Silaka Nature Reserve
The Silaka Nature Reserve serves to protect the biodiversity of the coastal forest in the region, and stretches along the coastline between Second Beach and Sugarloaf Rock - 400 hectares of striking coast, a forest of towering trees, and grassland - an exquisite escape into nature. Small the reserve may be, but ... more information
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Things To Do in Coffee Bay
Coastal Hike to Hole In The Wall
Where: Coffee Bay
How much (per person): On Request
A scenic hike from Coffee Shack along the magnificent coastline, passing Baby Hole and Hlungwane Waterfall. Hole In The Wall is a spectacula ... more information
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Events and/or Festivals in Coffee Bay
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On Holiday in Coffee Bay
• Port St Johns Accommodation
• Port St Johns Hotels
• Wild Coast Accommodation
• Wild Coast Hotels
• Eastern Cape Accommodation
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