Mossel Bay is the gateway to the entire Garden Route. You can take the N2 to Mossel Bay and the drive will take approximately 40 – 50 minutes from George.
The Garden Route is a corner of Africa that is so astonishingly beautiful that it has been called “A Taste of Eden.”
It is a mosaic of silent, mysterious forests, sweeping lakes and wetlands, empty, unspoilt beaches and narrow, winding passes that lie between Gouritsmond in the West and Storms River in the East. Mossel Bay is a bustling holiday town and port, set on the slopes of Cape St Blaize overlooking the expansive bay, against the backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains. ”
Mossel Bay lies halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, close to the towns of Swellendam, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna on the Garden Route and is known for the Mossgas project, where offshore gas fields are mined for gas that is then converted into petroleum. Despite having an industrial image just like George once had, Mossel Bay has overcome this by establishing a tradition of unhurried hospitality. There is sufficient natural beauty in the town and its surrounds to make a stopover essential. Mossel Bay features in the Guiness Book of Records as having the mildest all-year climate in the world, second only to Hawaii. If one adds to this the long stretch of beaches, the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, a championship golf course or two, then Mossel Bay becomes an ideal retreat for both summer and winter.
Mossel Bay has a significant history and there are a number of historic houses worth visiting, including approximately 200 stone homes built a century ago by Cornish stonemasons. The town received its present name in 1601 when the Dutch navigator, Paulus van Caerden found a collection of mussel shells in a cave at the headland of Cape St Blaize although the discovery of Mossel Bay dates as far back as 1488, when Dias first encountered the ancient Khoi-San people upon stepping ashore.
The very first Post Office in South Africa began at Mossel Bay in 1500, when a man named Pedro de Ataide left a letter in a shoe under a milkwood tree. Today the ancient Post Office is a national monument and mail is still sorted here. Mossel Bay also has historical architecture, several museums and an old working harbour.
Mossel Bay is still known for its mussels and oysters and some of the largest catches of tunny and black marlin are made on this part of the coast. Tunnel Cave is a 60-metre passageway through the headland of Cape St Blaize, which emerges on a stretch of wild coast where the beaches are notorious for their variety of sea shells.
Mossel Bay holds its own with the surfing fraternity and compares favourably to Jeffreys Bay and Port Elizabeth. There are a variety of water sports available, as well as whale and seal watching. Mossel Bay offers safe swimming with its wide beaches and the majestic cliffs of Cape St Blaize’s southern shores. In a nutshell, Mossel Bay is definately a town worth visiting.
Address: 1 Market Street, Mossel Bay, 6500 | Private Bag X1, Mossel Bay, 6500
Contact Nr: Tel: +27 (0)44 691 1067 / Fax: +27 (0)44 691 1915
Email: info@diasmuseum.co.za | Website: Diasmuseum
Diaz Museum Complex: Includes the Granary and Culture Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Post Office tree, The shell museum and Aquarium, a historic freshwater spring, the Padrao, an indigenous garden and braille trail, the Munro Hoek Cottage and Malay graves. Tel: +27 (0)44 691 1067
ATKV Hartenbos Museum: Displays the various stages of the Great Trek Tel: (044) 601-7200/19
Cape St Blaize Cave: Yielded artefacts dating back 80 000 years. They are housed in the Culture Museum. Tel: +27 44 690 3015
St Blaize Lighthouse: A manned lighthouse dating back 1864. Tel: +27 44 690 3015
Kwanaonqaba Township Tours: Visits to “sangoma” and a local shebeen. Drink some local beer and have lunch at a township guest house. Tel: +27 44 691 1995
Boggomsbaai Golf Club: A nine-hole course. Tel: +27 44 699 1163
Mossel Bay Golf Course: A challenging undulating, 18-hole course. Tel: +27 44 691 2379
Great Garden Route Eco Adventure Tours: Abseiling and Kayaking at Diaz beach. info@africanchapter.com
Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary : Situated along the N2 only 5km outside Mossel Bay on the route to Cape To Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary. Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary offers thrilling experiences, predator encounters, live snake shows and a farmyard playground.
Tel: +2744-698 2004 | Mobile: +2782 785 7713 | E-mail: karen@jukani.co.za Homepage: www.jukani.co.za | Gps: 34 10 41 S | 22 01 32 E | 22 01 32 E
Garden Route Casino provides you with the opportunity to “Escape for Life”.
Nestled within the splendorous beauty of Mossel Bay and the Garden Route, our Casino has become renowned for not only its picturesque backdrop, but also countless hours of gaming pleasure and the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet. Come and enjoy our brand new SMART CASINO providing 412 slot machines and 16 gaming tables, including all new Texas Hold’em Poker, all for your gaming pleasure! Now open 24 hours a day!
Situated next to the luxurious Garden Route Casino Hotel & Spa, and the world-renowned Pinnacle Point Beach & Golf Resort, Garden Route Casino provides the key to “Escape for Life”.
For further details visit their website: www.gardenroutecasino.co.za
1 Pinnacle Point Road Mossel Bay 6500 South Africa
Email: info@gardenroutecasino.co.za | Tel: +27 (0)44 606 7777 or +27(0)44 606 7541
Shark cage diving in South Africa has become very popular and there are now a number of commercialized locations which offer the opportunity to get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures of the deep. You are sure to experience an adrenaline rush as you come almost face to face with these awesome predators.
Shark cage diving is absolutely safe and no diving experience is needed. Prior to starting, a short course is given to cover general safety and the use of the equipment you will be using once underwater. With weather usually being unpredictable, it is advisable to book a tour that lasts a few days, so that you have every chance of seeing these majestic powerhouses. April to October is Peak shark season; November to December is High shark season; January to March is Intermediate shark season.
The harbour’s launching slip-way is the point of entry for all cage diving expeditions and becomes alive with activity on clear mornings. Air tanks are filled, cylinders are placed inside the diving cages, safety equipment is checked and the boats are fueled prior to your arrival.
The operators that offer Great White Shark diving, all have excellent safety records. Shark Africa offers diving off Mossel Bay. They are the sole operator in this area so you won’t bump into any other boats. They take only ten people per trip and two at a time in the diving cage. Their boat is a 15 meter sailing catamaran.
Shark cage diving promises an awesome and unforgettable time! Be prepared for an up close and personal experience with the sea’s most magnificent predators.
To book your adrenaline rush, please contact White Shark Africa
Bookings: +27 (0)44 691 3796 | Cell: +27 (0)82 455 2438 | Email: info@whitesharkafrica.com
or White Shark Eco-Ventures on +27 (0)21 532-047 or +27 (0)83 412-3733.
Website: www.whitesharkafrica.com | For full info brochure click here
An icon of tourism in the Southern Cape – continues to run a daily schedule between George and Mossel Bay.
Mossel Bay has a proud tradition of steam. The presence of the harbour provided the impetus for the opening of the line to George in 1906 and the Voorbaai Yards, just east of the town, remain the public sector’s only steam maintenance facility.
The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe is South Africa’s last scheduled steam passenger service. It now offers a unique, scenic, 52-km (two hour) journey through the farmlands outside George, across trestle bridges on the Gwaiing and Malgate rivers, past the Outeniqua siding and down to the seaside near Glentana.
From here, the train follows the coast to Voorbaai and Mossel Bay – and passengers are often lucky enough to see whales and dolphins from the comfort of its old-fashioned carriages.
The beauty of the scenery and the novelty of traveling on a steam train create an enormous attraction – but the added value of the fact that the George-Mossel Bay line links two of the biggest museums in the Western Cape provides a unique opportunity for exploring the history of transport in South Africa. This is called the the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe’s Museum-to-Museum Tour.
The tour begins at the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George, which houses an important collection of old cars, buses, horse-drawn carriages and trains – including 13 locomotives, a coach from the White Train (used by the British royal family for their tour of the country in 1947) and Paul Kruger’s personal coach and private saloons from the South African War.
In Mossel Bay, the train ends its journey at the Dias Museum Complex Station, which lies directly alongside the beach at Munro’s Bay and across the line from the Complex itself.
The Dias Museum Complex includes a maritime museum (which houses a modern-day replica of the caravel in which, in 1488, Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to touch South African shores), a shell museum, a Braille trail, an ethno-botanical garden and the famous Post Office Tree under which sailors of the 16th century left written messages for one another.
For passengers wishing to return to George by train, the Choo Tjoe has a 2-hour lay-over in Mossel Bay, which allows sufficient time to explore the Museums and, perhaps, enjoy a dip in the ocean or lunch at one of the local restaurants.
For info on booking times and fee’s contact the Railway Museum
Address: Outeniqua Transport Museum, 2 Mission Street
Tel: +27(0) 44 801 8288 | 044 801 8289 | 044 801 8202
Email: Kobus.volschenk@transnet.net | Website: Outeniquachootjoe
Your fun filled day in Mossel Bay will certainly awake an apatite of note. Be sure to make a stop at some local restaurants, famous for their great decks with magnificent views over the beach and ocean.
Santos Express Train at Santos Beach (simply known as `The Train` by locals) is situated at Santos beach in Mossel Bay giving you the enjoyment of a unique and romantic experience of staying on a real train only 30 metres from the sea.
With double, single and budget compartments, accommodation has spectacular sea views and hot, clean showers. Great seafood, traditional meals, seafood, regular braai`s (South African for BBQ!). Cosy bar, stunning view and a nice warm atmosphere. Fabulous conference room ideal for weddings, birthday parties or business and team building meetings.
Visit them at: Santosexpress | Email: beds@santosexpress.co.za
Phone: 044 691 1995 (Local) – +27 44 691 1995 (International)
Fax: 044 691 1995 (Local) – +27 44 691 1995 (International)
Sea Gypsy Restaurant is definitely a place to stop. Unique vibe with local flavour and great Seafood.
The Venue:
Come as you are, let your hair down; enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset, grab some oysters from the basket hanging out the window & watch out for the bucket of water above your head at the bar, type of place. Great vibe, excellent food.
The Menu:
Specialize in seafood with a reputation of surprising first time customers with the quality, presentation and portions. Some red meat and poultry dishes.
The Info:
Reservations accepted | Smoking area available | Parking available
Vegetarian options | Wheelchair access | Open for lunch & dinner
Set menu’s available on request | Licensed
Contact Details:
Quay 4, Mossel Bay Harbour Mossel Bay 6500 South Africa
Email: info@seagypsy.co.za | Website: Seagypsy
Tel: (0)44 690 5496
After this fun and adventure filled day you can enjoy the scenic drive back to George with breathtaking sunsets.
For more information on Mosselbay contact
Debra Bouwer – Marketing Manager, Mossel Bay, Telephone: +27(0)44 691 2202
