Plettenberg Bay
The most popular seaside resort on the Garden Route, with golden beaches strung along a curved bay and whale watching by boat in winter and spring.
Plettenberg Bay (locally known as Plett) is the Garden Route's most popular seaside town, about 30 km east of Knysna. The curved bay is lined with several golden beaches, including Central Beach, Robberg Beach beside Beacon Island, Lookout Beach, and the kilometers-long Keurbooms Beach. The water is warmer than in Cape Town, making it good for swimming, surfing and beach walks. The Signal Hill lookout in town overlooks the whole bay and the Robberg Peninsula to the south. Plett is one of South Africa's best places to see marine mammals. Dolphins, humpback dolphins and seals can be seen year-round, and southern right and humpback whales migrate past from June to November. Licensed whale-watching boats and sea kayak trips (about 2 hours) are available. The main street area is packed with restaurants, cafés and bars. During the December–January school holidays, crowds and prices peak, so book accommodation well in advance.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Lookout Beach
- Robberg Nature Reserve
- Radical Raptors
- Keurbooms River Nature Reserve
- Knysna Elephant Park
- Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary
- Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve
- Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary