About Ballito

allito, is the unofficial capital of the Dolphin Coast which extends from Zimbali in the South to the Tugela River in the North, a sub tropical paradise steeped in history, cultural diversity, and a veritable playground of lush green vegetation, sun, sea and pristine beaches.

The Dolphin Coast includes the coastal resorts of Shakas Rock, Salt Rock, Sheffield Beach, Blythedale and Zinkwazi.

A favoured playground of an estimated 200 shoals of bottlenose dolphins that frolic in the clear shallow waters, all year round, and it is not uncommon to spot whales offshore, during their summer migration to Mozambique.

The sub tropical climate means that the weather is warm to hot throughout the year, providing the ideal escape from the harsh inland winters.

For many years Ballito catered for a niche market, offering a getaway for the young at heart in traditional village surroundings, creating a unique vibe that had those tourists in the know, coming back year after year.

Although the town has experienced a population boom and has recently grown exponentially, it has not lost any of the attributes that had attracted countless tourists over the years, as it has managed to retain all its endearing characteristics, while at the same time increasing its appeal, with the additional facilities and infrastructure that it now offers.

Getting Here

With the newly constructed King Shaka International Airport nearby, the area is ideally situated.This world class facility offers a host of features to make your travelling experience as comfortable and pleasurable as possible. Shops and restaurants, a bank and post office are just a few additional features King Shaka International Airport has to offer.

Less than an hour’s drive from Durban and with Umhlanga Rocks to the South, whilst to the North there are world class Game Reserves, containing their own unique bio-diversity, and home to the Big Five!

As you approach Durban on the N3 from Johannesburg look out for the North Coast N2 high-way. After a scenic 42km drive take off the Ballito – Compensation Rd turn-off. .

History

Click here to read about the history of Ballito

Climate

The Dolphin Coast is renowned for it’s warm sub-tropical weather. Summers holidays can be best enjoyed in Ballito, when the Mercury climbs to above 32° Celsius (almost 90° Fahrenheit).

Our July Winter is mild & temperate and seldom goes below 10°C (50°F) during the day.

Rain falls in both summer and winter, mainly at night, giving Ballito all year round lush, green, tropical vegetation.

Sea temperatures vary from 25° in summer to 18° in winter. The average rainfall for the year is in the order of 900mm. The average minimum and maximum temperatures and rainfall figures for  the Ballito area are as follows:

What to Do

The two main word class beaches Willard Beach and Boulders are ideal for swimming and surfing respectively, and with the 4 kilometre long promenade (from Salmon Bay to Willard Beach) along the beach front, visitors can enjoy the excellent surf in the warm Mozambique current that hugs the coastline, or take a leisurely walk or jog along the promenade.

Thompson’s Bay can be found just north of Ballito and is home to Charlie’s Pool (a large tidal pool which offers safe swimming conditions). This fantastically popular beach has qualified lifeguards and shark nets, ensuring the safety of the swimmers.

Should you prefer to meander along the coast, at low tide, there are many crystal clear tidal and rock pools to explore that are filled with a wide variety of intriguing sea creatures.

If you fancy some really fresh seafood you can obtain a licence from the local post office, that entitles you to harvest a quantity of mussels, oysters or crayfish; the best way to eat seafood “straight out of the ocean and into the pot”.   

Whether you are a fisherman, water sport fanatic or if just prefer to lie on the golden beaches and soak up the sun, you will find your own piece of paradise.

In season the beaches often host beach festivals catering for all ages, and it was no surprise when the ASP Prime Ballito Pro sponsored by Billabong, was shifted from Durban’s North Beach to Ballito, where it is now held annually. This event held in conjunction with the Ballito Pro is the Ballito Beach Festival, which last year was attended by more than 160,000 visitors during the course of the week, provides the area with an opportunity to showcase its many unique attributes.

Away from the beaches both out to sea with marine activities and excursions and inland with horse riding, golf, helicopter flights, historical sites, nature reserves, crocodile farms, nurseries, cultural villages and sites and the local sugar cane industry to explore, every day is a new adventure!

The night life in the area is legendary, with the pubs, clubs and the diverse range of restaurants, catering for a variety of genres and palates; all subscribing that unique vibe that has been Ballito’s trademark through the years.

For the shopper the area is a veritable shoppers’ paradise with cafés, specialist shops, modern shopping centres and three new malls namely; Ballito Lifestyle Centre, Ballito Junction and the Ballito Bay Mall, ensuring that you never have to leave the area to search for daily provisions, that special memento or anything else you may need or want during your stay.

One of the main attractions of Ballito is the wide range of the accommodation on offer from inexpensive seaside camp sites to ultra luxury units and the complete ambit in between, to suite every style of holiday.

For a long time Ballito remained a jealously guarded secret, but now that the secret is out you are invited to experience that unique essence of an area that endears itself to the heart of all its visitors, past and present.

Ballito is a vibrant & friendly town.
We welcome you and look forward to seeing you here soon!