Things to Do in Plettenberg Bay
Things to Do in Plettenberg Bay
Recently nominated as one of Africa’s Best Beach Destinations by the World Travel Awards, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, dubbed ‘The Jewel of the Garden Route’ for its beauty, is geared for tourists all year round.
Despite Plett being a traditionally seasonal town, there are many things to do in Plettenberg Bay or in the surrounding Garden Route area throughout the year.
Plett is famous for its long unspoiled beaches, sparkling clean ocean, whales, dolphins, seals, forests and mountains, and thanks to the outstanding beauty of the surrounds and relatively undeveloped nature of the area, Plett is a favourite holiday destination for both South Africans and International visitors.
The area is also famous for a number of activities, some of which are unique to the area, and many of which define the character of the area – such as close-encounter whale-watching, Harkerville forest cycle trails, hiking on the Robberg Peninsula, the Crags animal sanctuaries, the highest bungy jump in the world – to name just a few.
However, Plettenberg Bay is also a growing town, with a growing population and ever more things to do at night, sporting events, live bands and all sorts of other things to do – from art workshops to dance party events featuring famous DJ’s.
Since South Africans are generally an energetic bunch (when we are not watching Rugby and braaing, we are usually doing something outdoorsy), and since the best way to enjoy breathtaking scenery is to be looking at it flying past in the air while you are upside down on a bungy cord, right way up a tree-top swing, on a bike, a bicycle, on skis, on a jetski, on a boat, a glider, surfboard or hanging off a parachute…our tourist attractions are, for the most part, activities – from adventure activities to milder pastimes and sports such as golf and kayaking, and a myriad of family attractions.
Photo by Christy Strever
We also like wine, beer and food – lots and lots of it, so many local attractions revolve around eating and drinking, including food festivals and other gastronomical events, wine tastings, grape growing and wine drinking.
There are also always oysters and local bubbles, wherever you go – from the decks of the yachts in our sister town of Knysna to the polo events at Kurland in the Crags.
For those of you who shop a lot at Cape Union Mart, Plettenberg Bay is where you drop Ouma and the rest of the lazy family before you head off to the Tsitsikamma, Storms River or other indigenous forest trail areas…the most famous of these being the 10 day Otter Trail – for which it is reliably rumoured one has to book 18 months in advance.
If you are a very sensible soul who doesn’t like the beach except for half an hour after 4pm, doesn’t care to indulge too much in the local wine and brews (ok, the latter is from Knysna), and wouldn’t be caught hanging upside down off the Bloukrans bridge for anything…there are leafy courtyard cafes, art galleries and more quality specialist retailers and markets than can you shake your holiday budget at. Shop while they drop.
The communities of the Garden Route are also famous for their artistic hearts and we have some superbly talented artists and musicians either living here year round, or ‘coming home’ to where they hung out on holidays as students.
There’s almost always an art exhibition or somebody playing somewhere…
Of course, the best things in life are free…and the best things to do in Plettenberg Bay are too. There’s nothing like lying on the beach with a book, on a soporifically hot day, swimming, tanning, sleeping, reading, eating ice-cream, more swimming… you get the very attractive picture I’m sure.
You can always take a break for lunch at a beachfront restaurant (more eating and drinking) and end your day with a sunset walk, a show at the Barnyard Theatre (the original one – we invented the Barnyard by the way) or…more eating and drinking at one of many Plett’s many excellent restaurants and other venues. If you can still stand up after this, there’s dancing the night away at one of Plett’s late night venues…and if you are still standing up after that…our beautiful Bay faces East and the sunrises most days range from beautiful to breathtaking.
Take a look our Tourist Attractions section under Tourism, and in our Events & Entertainment section to see what activities are available in Plettenberg Bay and in the encompassing area of the Garden Route region from Knysna to the Tsitsikamma…don’t let Plett’s reputation as a sleepy seaside village fool you – there are always things to do in Plettenberg Bay.
| More info on the town of Plettenberg Bay | More info on the Garden Route area |
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