St. Francis Bay

The Garden Route ends in the east when the Western Cape gives way to the Eastern Cape.

And head on for about 90 minutes and you will find St. Francis Bay. Whilst nearby Jeffreys Bay is all about surfing and what goes with that, St. Francis Bay is gentler and more peaceful. Much of the settlement flows in and around a great golf course and there are stretches of canal and lots of open land. There is a nearby working harbour, with a couple of great restaurants (you'll find mention of Chokka Block in our restaurants article). The beach is wide and generally empty, as the Indian Ocean breaks onto the flat sands. It's very easy to walk for a long time without seeing anyone. The town itself has a small shopping precinct and then a range of shops dotted around, meaning a visitor can find all that they need whether staying in a B&B or in a self-catering accommodation. St. Francis Bay is also a great location for accessing Addo. Our preference is to stay there after an Addo visit but you could do a day trip if you wanted, with the main gate of the Elephant Park about 2.5 hours drive. We think St. Francis Bay is a great place to stop for a couple of unwind days.