Jeffreys Bay, Sunshine Coast

Jeffreys Bay, or "J-Bay" as it is known to the locals, brings to mind surfing, sunshine and beautiful beaches - and you’d be right. Home to the Billabong Surfing Festival every July and rated among the ten best surfing spots in the world, surfers from across the globe come to enjoy the rolling surf. Jeffreys Bay is a beach paradise.

Jeffreys Bay is one of endless summer where people predominantly come to escape the city life and enjoy a relaxed lifestyle - swimming costumes are the requisite attire. The beaches are safe and the water is warm, so swimming and water sports are the main pastime. As if this weren’t enough of an invitation, this stretch of the coast is also home to dolphins that grace the waves and there are often whale sightings. There are also a variety of shells that visitors collect by the handful - and they’re welcome to do so. You can see local shells displayed in the Shell Museum alongside shells from other countries.

This part of the Eastern Cape has a unique climate - the landscape is mainly flat and dry between the sea and the distant mountains and the vegetation is typically aloes, fynbos, sour figs and shrub land. Temperatures are moderate with rainfall all year. Summers are warm and winters mild, which is why water sports are so popular.

Water sports include: surfing, scuba diving, swimming, snorkeling, boat trips, fishing, sailing, canoeing and body surfing. There are a number of other activities to do whilst staying in Jeffreys Bay. These include: mountain bike rides, beach horse rides, a 9-hole golf course, a shark aquarium, river cruises, quad biking and hiking trails.

The area has a number of nature reserves, which also draw visitors. Kabeljous Estuary and Nature Reserve is a walk-about reserve that has a safe swimming beach and is an excellent fishing and bird-watching area. The Noorsekloof Nature Reserve has a 3km trail running alongside a stream from which you can see many species of bird and some small buck. If it is bird-watching you are after, then the Seekoei River Estuary is the place to go. There is an abundance of water fowl and a hide overlooking the river.

Jeffreys Bay is also at the start of the Garden Route and an ideal base from which to visit the Addo Elephant Park and the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve. It is only 45 minutes drive from Port Elizabeth where there is an airport.