Tinley Manor, Dolphin Coast

Just 15 minutes’ drive north of Ballito, via Salt Rock, Sheffield Beach and Umhlali, lies the hamlet of Tinley Manor, reputed to have some of the most magnificent sea views and glorious beaches, and regarded as the closest beach to Johannesburg.

Tinley Manor is one of the few places that has yet to feel the push of development and still regarded as an area with ‘growth potential’ by property gurus. Tinley Manor’s southern boundary is graced with a long lagoon that opens into the Indian Ocean and provides safe paddle-skiing, wind-surfing and, if you can find a quiet spot, some of the most abundant bird life. The beach has its own tidal pool and the beaches are life guarded during peak periods.

Tinley Manor, Sheffield beach and Salt Rock have all got beautiful offshore reef formations that offer scuba divers and snorkel specialists a wonderful sea underworld, and the many nooks and crannies provide a haven for crayfish. You’ll need a licence to fish for these exotic creatures.

The wonderful aspect of the still quaint village of Tinley Manor is that you really can leave behind the bustle of development that is Ballito and in its turn, Sheffield Beach. The beach is still lined with indigenous coastal forest, mongoose and even some buck, and Vervet monkeys dart about. While it still manages to elude development, take advantage to really get away from it all.