Oyster Bay, Sunshine Coast

Renowned for long stretches of sandy beach and a strong emphasis on nature Oyster Bay is a wonderful place to stay amidst woods, sand dunes, river deltas, wetlands, lagoons and roaming horses. As its name indicates, Oyster Bay is also a stronghold of one of the main efforts to conserve the African Oyster Catcher that makes the beaches here its home, and there is controlled use of 4x4 vehicles and noisy motorbikes along the beaches. The beautiful enclave of Oyster Bay lies between St Francis Bay and the border of the Tsitsikamma coast.

This part of the Eastern Cape, in which Oyster Bay lies, has an extremely large coastal and marine biological diversity caused mainly by its being a transition zone between cold and warm sea currents. As a result there are some pretty unique ecological and archaeological developments, such as the wind-rift dune ridges - two parallel ridges at Oyster Bay that are 12 kilometres long and rise as high as 177 metres - and some unique examples of dune fynbos on the dune ridges that contain 24 threatened plant species.

You’re not restricted to remaining within the little village of Oyster Bay, as, despite its varied beauty and capacity to allow you to escape from it all, it is a perfect base for day trips to St Francis Bay, Baviaanskloof and the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve. From here you can follow Route 62 or the Garden Route, or remain within the sanctuary of Oyster Bay and fish, swim, mountain bike and hike.