Plettenberg Bay: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Portuguese sailors called this place Bahia Formosa, the beautiful bay, and in 1630 the survivors of a wrecked Portuguese ship spent months on its shore. Today it is a holiday town of long beaches between two rivers and a rocky peninsula. This route runs from the lagoon in the north, past the hotel rock, to the end of Robberg. Allow a day; the Robberg walk alone takes two to four hours, and the path closes at a set hour in the afternoon.

A short history of Plettenberg Bay

Portuguese explorers called the bay 'the beautiful bay' in the 16th century, and in 1630 a Portuguese ship was wrecked here, whose survivors lived on the shore for many months. In 1778 the Dutch governor Joachim van Plettenberg named it after himself, and in 1787 a timber store for export was set up here. In the 19th century a whaling station operated here, and in the 20th century the town became a holiday resort on the Garden Route. Its permanent population is small, and in summer it fills up.

The ten best sights in Plettenberg Bay

1
Nelson Bay Cave
A Stone Age cave on the Robberg path, with boards explaining the dig
2
Beacon Isle
The hotel on the rock is the town's landmark; walk round it at low tide
3
Robberg Nature Reserve
Peninsula walks of 2 to 9 km; the full loop needs good shoes and a low tide
4
Lookout Beach
Where the lagoon meets the sea; dolphins often surf the waves here
5
Robberg Beach
A long, quieter beach on the way to the reserve
6
Keurbooms River
Paddle a canoe upriver between forested banks
7
Monkeyland
Guided walks among free-roaming monkeys and lemurs
8
Birds of Eden
A giant aviary dome over a forest gorge; next door to Monkeyland
9
Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary
Big cats rescued from captivity, seen on a guided walk
10
Knysna Elephant Park
Walk with elephants on the N2 west of town; book the morning

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Tours in Plettenberg Bay →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Plettenberg Bay:

Free walking tours in Plettenberg Bay

The beautiful bay

Lookout Beach · The Keurbooms and Bitou rivers join behind the dunes and reach the sea here through a single mouth. The mouth shifts with storms, and the beach has been eaten away and rebuilt by the sea more than once.
Beacon Isle · The town is named after Joachim van Plettenberg, the Dutch governor of the Cape, who came here in 1778 and set up a stone beacon claiming the bay for the Dutch East India Company. From 1912 to 1916 a Norwegian whaling station worked on this rock, where the hotel now stands.
Robberg Beach · In 1630 the Portuguese ship São Gonçalo, leaking badly, anchored in the bay and broke up in a storm. The survivors camped on this shore for months and built two boats from the wreck, sailing one to Mozambique and the other back to Lisbon.
Robberg Nature Reserve · Robberg means 'seal mountain', and a colony of Cape fur seals lives on the rocks near the point. The peninsula sticks about 4 km into the sea, and its far end is a marine protected area.
Nelson Bay Cave · Archaeologists dug here from the 1960s and found layers left by people who sheltered in the cave over tens of thousands of years. Bones and shells in the layers show how their diet changed as the sea level rose and fell.
Lookout Deck · The deck above Lookout Beach is one of the places where locals watch for whales and dolphins. Southern right and humpback whales pass through the bay in winter and spring.

The Crags: rescued animals

East of town, in the farming area called The Crags, several sanctuaries sit within a few kilometres of each other. Most of their animals were rescued from the pet trade, circuses or illegal captivity and cannot go back to the wild. This route links them in one day, with a wine farm for the adults. Book the guided walks ahead in holidays, and go early, before the heat makes the animals sleepy.

Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary · Jukani keeps lions, tigers, leopards and other predators that were bred or kept in captivity. The sanctuary does not breed them and does not allow touching.
Bramon Wine Estate · Bramon was the first wine farm in the Plettenberg Bay area, planted at the start of the 2000s. Its first wine was a Méthode Cap Classique made from Sauvignon Blanc, unusual for a sparkling wine.
Monkeyland · Monkeyland opened in 1998 as a free-roaming sanctuary for primates that had been kept as pets or in laboratories. Visitors walk with a guide through the forest, and there is a 128-metre rope bridge across a gorge.
Birds of Eden · The aviary covers about two hectares of forest and gorge under a single mesh dome, which makes it one of the largest free-flight aviaries in the world. Boardwalks run through it past a waterfall.
Elephant Sanctuary · The sanctuary looks after African elephants that grew up in captivity and could not be released. Visitors meet them on a guided walk, learning how their trunks, ears and feet work.
Tenikwa · Tenikwa started as a centre that treats injured and orphaned wild animals of the Garden Route and releases them when it can. Animals that cannot go back to the wild are shown to visitors.

East to Tsitsikamma

East of Plettenberg Bay the N2 crosses a series of deep gorges cut by rivers through the coastal plateau, and the forest runs down to the sea. This is the Tsitsikamma, now part of the Garden Route National Park. The route follows the coast to the Storms River Mouth, about 60 km away, stopping at beaches and bridges. A full day; take a swimsuit for Nature's Valley and a head for heights for Bloukrans.

Keurbooms River · The river is named after the keurboom, a fast-growing native tree that covers itself in pink flowers in spring. Its lower reaches are a nature reserve with no road along them, so the way in is by canoe or ferry.
Keurboomstrand · The Matjes River Rock Shelter near the beach is one of the important Later Stone Age sites of the coast; excavations found burials and shell middens left by people who lived off the shore.
Nature's Valley · Nature's Valley is the end of the Otter Trail, which opened in 1968 as South Africa's first official hiking trail. Hikers walk five days along the coast from Storms River Mouth and finish on this beach.
Bloukrans Bridge · The concrete arch bridge, opened in the 1980s, carries the N2 216 metres above the Bloukrans River. Its bungee jump is known as one of the highest bridge bungees in the world.
Nature's Valley Trading Store · The village has no shops to speak of beyond this store and restaurant, because almost all the land around it is national park. It is the place for a drink before the climb back up the forest pass.
Storms River Mouth · The Tsitsikamma National Park was proclaimed in 1964 and included a strip of sea, making it the first marine protected area in Africa. A suspension bridge crosses the river mouth just where it leaves its gorge.

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Getting to Plettenberg Bay and getting around

Plettenberg Bay Ultra City · Long-distance coaches along the Garden Route stop at this N2 service station
Plettenberg Bay Airport · A small airfield; scheduled flights come and go, so check before planning on one

Cheap eats in Plettenberg Bay

Plett is a beach town, and it eats like one: fish and chips, calamari and burgers near the sand, and good coffee and pastries on Main Street. Line fish depends on the day's catch, so ask what came in. A quick meal costs about R90-200.

Pie Shop · Hot pies on Church Street; about R30-50 each
Roosterkoek · Grilled bread rolls with fillings by the N2; about R50-90
Plato Coffee · Coffee chain café in the centre; about R30-45
Paul · French-style bakery on Robberg Road; a croissant about R30-45
Amici · Main Street café; breakfast about R80-130
Quick Fix Coffee Hub · Takeaway coffee on Strand Street; about R25-40

Museums in Plettenberg Bay

Nelson Bay Cave · Stone Age layers explained on site; on the Robberg path
Beacon Isle · The whaling-station rock under the hotel
Keurboomstrand · Rock shelters and a quiet beach east of town
Noetzie · Stone 'castles' on a hidden beach; steep path down
Storms River Mouth · Visitor centre on Africa's first marine reserve

Nature and day trips near Plettenberg Bay

Robberg Nature Reserve · Seal colony and cliff walks; check the closing hour
Keurbooms River · Canoe up the river; quiet water for beginners
Nature's Valley · Lagoon swimming and forest trails
Harkerville Forest · Indigenous forest trails for walking and mountain biking
Kranshoek · Cliff-top views over the Indian Ocean

Things to do in Plettenberg Bay with kids

Monkeyland · Walk under monkeys and over the rope bridge
Birds of Eden · Free-flying birds overhead; combo ticket with Monkeyland
Knysna Elephant Park · Meet elephants on a guided walk
Lookout Beach · Shallow lagoon water for small children
Tenikwa · Wild cats and a rescue centre

Where to eat in Plettenberg Bay

The Lookout Deck · Seafood and sunset over the beach
The Fat Fish · Fish and sushi, views over Central Beach
Bramon Wine Estate · Lunch among the vines; book on weekends
Nature's Valley Trading Store · Pub food in the forest village

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Frequently asked questions about Plettenberg Bay

What is there to see in Plettenberg Bay?

The top sights in Plettenberg Bay are Nelson Bay Cave, Beacon Isle and Robberg Nature Reserve. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Plettenberg Bay?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Plettenberg Bay without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Plettenberg Bay?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Plettenberg Bay, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The beautiful bay.

How do you get to Plettenberg Bay and get around?

The main ways are Plettenberg Bay Ultra City and Plettenberg Bay Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Plettenberg Bay, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Plettenberg Bay that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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