Gonubie, Amatola

The little beachside village of Gonubie, considered fondly by East Londoners as theirs, lies on the beautiful estuary of the Gonubie River just eight kilometres outside of East London, perfectly placed to act as a stopover en route to Cape Town or as a base to explore neighbouring towns of Cathcart, Stutterheim and King Williams Town.

Things are relaxed here and letting go of tension is easy when the beach and lagoon, with a beautiful tidal pool and wooden walkway - built to protect the primary dunes from human traffic - offer hours of tranquillity and sunshine pleasure. When the tide is out, the lagoon is a perfect place for exploring - collecting shells, watching water snails and birds and, particularly for families, an ideal place to while away the time. Even your need to restock the coffers is adequately met by the local Spar and with no other ‘mega’ stores on offer to ply you with their trade, things remain relatively effortless - although a shopping mall is soon expected to open its doors.

It’s no surprise that Gonubie beach enjoys Blue Flag status - the estuary coupled with the flourishing vegetation on adjacent sand dunes alone is enough to place it in a league of its own. But add to that the perfect swimming conditions and the boardwalk and it’s easy to understand how time can pass here without complaint.

Gonubie is fast becoming a ‘hot property’ spot and holiday homes in particular are popular - stay here out of season though, and you’ll easily be able to appreciate Gonubie’s beauty. There’s a flea market or two every Saturday and the annual Gonubie Festival is fun for all.