Kini Bay, Port Elizabeth

The pretty coastal hamlet of Kini Bay lies on the Sunshine Coast between Algoa Bay and Jeffreys Bay just 15 minutes’ drive from Port Elizabeth. Yet it has a distinct sense of isolation and charm that make it so attractive to visitors.

Kini Bay has no shops or industry to speak of. Rather it is a quaint sprinkling of beach cottages and homes that form a residential area that allows those who visit here a refuge from the hurly burly of city living, yet maintains its link with Port Elizabeth, allowing easy day trips into the city. The unassuming Kini Bay village is virtually surrounded by natural vegetation in the heart of various conservancies that give one generous access to monkeys, buck and pretty walks through the undergrowth. Alongside the village lies a virtually unspoilt, remote beach littered with pretty little rock pools that are safe for swimming. Fishing and collecting shells here are a highlight of any visit, as are sightings of dolphins and whales in season.

Kini Bay’s nearest neighbour is the somewhat larger village of Sea View, where one can easily get basic necessities from the local supermarket, bakery and delicatessen, for those who want to avoid Port Elizabeth so as to complete the impression of totally getting away from it all. You can pick up fresh fish in Sea View on a daily basis, if fishing off the coast in Kini Bay doesn’t excite you. But it is surprising how few visitors actually seek entertainment outside of Kini Bay. Once there, the magic languor of the place, and the remoteness result in languid days spent doing virtually nothing.