Mpekweni

Mpekweni, Sunshine Coast

The little seaside resort of Mpekweni lies between the equally small villages of Hamburg and Seafield, roughly 70 kilometres south of East London. But it's close enough to Port Alfred that people with holiday homes here refer to it as Port Alfred, as few people have heard of Mpekweni.

Think endless white sands and tranquil lagoon and you've more or less got the gist of it. Mpekweni though is essentially taken up by a large beach resort, which hugs the west of the lagoon, although holiday homes, some of which are to rent, lie on the opposite bank - few enough of them to be a definite attraction.

The beach at Mpekweni is incredible - a long strip of white sand, and undeveloped coastline on which you could walk for miles. And the lagoon provides a wonderful space to paddle or canoe up river, or merely idle away time waiting for fish to bite. For families with children Mpekweni provides a wonderful holiday space.

The nearby Fish River Sun (18 minutes away via the R72) provides access to a Gary Player designed golf course and a number of nature trails. Or visit the Kap River Nature Reserve - a 670 hectare reserve that straddles the area between two rivers - the Kap River and the Great Fish River; the Indian Ocean forms its southern boundary. Here you'll not only be able to walk a number of trails, but you should manage to sight zebra, red hartebeest, impala, duiker bushbuck and a wonderful bird life.