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Port Elizabeth - South Africa World Cup Host City
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Port Elizabeth, otherwise known as the "friendly city" or PE, is South Africa's fifth largest city and quite an undiscovered gem, thanks to its undeveloped coastline. Port Elizabeth is a sporting hotspot and is home to some of the country's top cricket and rugby grounds; it also houses world-class golf courses. With its temperate waters, the city is ideal for water sports, sailing and diving enthusiasts. PE is worth visiting for its surrounding attractions too, you can arrange day trips to game lodges, the Addo Elephant National Park, the cultural hub of Grahamstown and to Jeffrey's Bay, famous for its impressive scenery and surfing.
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Adventure Sports
Going to the matches not providing enough of a rush for you? Well, you're in the right place if you're an adrenalin junkie. In Port Elizabeth, you can dive with sharks at Bayworld. There are other dive sites too, including fascinating wreck dives. A popular site is St Croix Islands, 20km from the PE harbor, where fishing is prohibited and the result is large populations of penguins and cormorants. The best time for diving is the winter months (May to September), when visibility is between 8 and 15 meters. The coastline is also good for fishing, and deep sea fishing can be arranged for individuals and groups. If you're a keen cyclist, there are two mountain biking trails: the 23km Baakens River trail and the 22km circular route along the Swartkops Valley Nature Reserve. Although PE has its fair share of surfing beaches, the country's top surfing spots are in Jeffrey's Bay, a short trip from Port Elizabeth. This is the host town for major surfing competitions. With pristine beaches, rivers and undeveloped land around PE, this is also 4x4 trail territory to suit all levels of skill. Private game farms in the area also offer various game hunting, mostly in the winter months. See more at www.nmbt.co.za/attractions/adventure.asp
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Eating Out
The Eastern Cape is also home to a large farming community, so the quality and pricing of beef is excellent. The beachfront is a veritable feast of contemporary restaurants, incorporating a range of ethnic tastes and fresh seafood. For good steak, don't miss The Coachman's Inn in Cape Road or Squire's at the Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment World. PE has a number of reputable seafood restaurants, including the third generation family-owned Blackbeard's Tavern at Brooke's Hill. Eating at the Oyster Catcher at the harbour is also an unpretentious treat. There are plenty of places for pub grub and light meals. Try Toby Joe's at the beachfront and the Brazen Head in Cape Road. Other highly recommended restaurants in the Port Elizabeth area include:
Buther's Block, Newton Park
Blue Waters Cafe, Humewood
Mediterranean Seafood House, Humewood
34 degrees South, Boardwalk
The Kelway Hotel, Brooke's Hill Drive
Wickerwoods, Cape Road
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Beaches
You might be visiting us during the winter, but a good sunny day on the Eastern Cape may inspire you to take to the waves during 2010. There are 6 swimming beaches, stretching from Bluewater Bay on the N2 towards Grahamstown, to Sardinia Bay in the west. The temperature of the water is warm, peaking at 23 degrees Celsius in summer and around 16 degrees in winter. The city is very proud of its international Blue Flag status, awarded to both King's Beach and Humewood Beach. Both have good water quality, excellent life-saving standards, parking and clean ablution facilities. King's Beach, between the harbor and Humewood, is the most popular beach because it has kiosks, restaurants, mini golf and a go-kart track. Boat trips and deep sea fishing trawlers leave from King's Beach. Humewood Beach is quieter and offers lots of shade for the sun-shy visitor. Hobie Beach, just off Shark Rock Pier, is good for windsurfing; it is popular because it is just a short walk from the Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment Centre. Pollock Beach is most popular for fishing and surfing, but it also has rock pools and is a safe swimming beach. Without a doubt, the most beautiful beach is Sardinia Bay. It's a bit of a drive from the popular beachfront hub, but it's well worth the trip. It is located in a marine reserve so there isn't much in the way of shops or restaurants, but you'll be awed by its rolling dunes and endless sea and sand. The Eastern Cape's treacherous coastline and strong winds have been the demise of many a ship blown off course over time, and these wrecks have been a popular attraction for divers. Worth seeing are the Haerlem, which ran adrift in 1987 and now forms an artificial reef, and the Pati, a Cyprian vessel that sank in 1976. For more see http://www.nmbt.co.za/attractions/coastal.asp
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Attractions & Activities
Port Elizabeth is a vibrant city with shopping, flea markets, great restaurants and other entertainment on offer. It has always been a family destination, so there are activities for both young and old. Life generally revolves around the ocean, even during the cooler winter months. PE's Humewood beach has achieved Blue Flag status as a world-class beach venue. The city is a nature lover's paradise, so don't miss the boat cruises, diving opportunities, a visit to Seaview Game & Lion Park and an excursion to Bayworld, which incorporates an oceanarium, museum and snake park. The surrounding Eastern Cape Province is alive with opportunity and is fast becoming the malaria-free Big Five capital of the country. Shamwari Private Game Reserve is just one of the many game reserves that have embarked on a massive conservation effort to restock the region with indigenous game. Day visitors from Port Elizabeth can enjoy a game drive, visits to a rehabilitation centre and the experience of a traditional African village.
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Entertainment and Leisure
As tourism has grown, so has the variety of things to do in PE. The main tourist attractions are at the beachfront. Breakfast and sundowner beachfront cruises can be arranged at the two yacht clubs. Boat trips are especially popular when Southern Right whales are calving (July to October), but you can also catch a glimpse of Cape Fur seals, along with penguins and dolphins. The MacArthur Leisure Centre on King's Beach promenade has direct access to the beach, rock pools and freshwater pools. It comes complete with a pool bar and two restaurants. Brookes Hill Pavilion is packed with late-night venues, restaurants and bars. The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World is like an open-air shopping strip with restaurants, gaming and retail offerings. Browsers will love the beachfront flea-market and the weekend Art in the Park, an open-air local craft market, that will also introduce sports lovers to St George's Park, home of the famous cricket ground. There are a few shopping malls with cinemas, bookshops and restaurants, all under one roof. Popular malls include Walmer Park, The Bridge Shopping & Entertainment Centre and Greenacres Shopping Centre. The PE Opera House is one of the oldest buildings in the country and there's a certain sense of pomp and ceremony that goes with attending a show there.
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Health and Wellness
With all the up-market lodges around PE, there is a wealth of resorts and spas around to revive weary spirits. So if your team is tiring you out, find your way to one of the many relaxing outposts about an hour or so out of town. Further afield in the Port Alfred area, about 3 hours by car, there are more serious places to detox and take a break. St Francis Health Spa in the Kleinemonde Valley is one place where you can check in for a day, 6 days, 10 days or 13 days to enjoy daily massages, hydrotherapy, aqua aerobics and other restorative therapies. In PE itself there are a few pamper parlours, including Shambala Wellness Spa for his and hers day packages, and the Chiropractic Health Centre in Walmer for sports massages.
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History & Culture
It was in Algoa Bay that the first 4,000 European settlers arrived in 1820, although it was seaman Vasco da Gama who first noted the bay on one of his voyages. It was named by the governor at the time, Sir Rufane Donkin, after his beloved wife. There are various memorials and tributes to the founders of the city and you'll notice Victorian architecture featured throughout the older parts of the city. The entire Donkin Street, a quaint street of double-storey Victorian houses, was declared a national monument in 1967. Take in the historical site of The Campanile, a 53-metre bell tower, built to commemorate the arrival of the British settlers. The structure has 204 steps so if you're feeling fit, this is one of the highest points from which to view the city. Fort Frederick overlooking the Baakens River estuary was built to prevent French troops from landing at the river mouth, but not a shot was ever fired. The Donkin Heritage Trail takes you on a tour of some of the historical buildings around town, including a visit to No 7 Castle Hill Museum, one of the oldest surviving settler cottages. There was an economic recession in Europe, and the settlers were lured to South African shores with the promise of free land and a new life. But historians will say they were here to perform another task to form a human barrier along the Fish River and secure British control over the land. If you'd like to know more about the settler history and the frontier wars, consider booking a historical Spirits of the Past tour where local historian Alan Weyers transports you into a world of tribes, battles and military rule. Another cultural experience is the popular township tour, where you can partake in shebeen life and visit local artists and self-help projects. There is a rich cultural heritage in the region, definitely worth exploring.
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Natural Attractions
Algoa Bay, the coastal strip of Nelson Mandela Bay, has 40km of beaches with protected areas for swimming, fishing, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling and sailing. There is something magical about this coastal terrain. The journey into PE will take you from coastal fynbos and sub-tropical lush green vegetation to arid scrub as one ventures inland. If you have time to take a trip, head west to Jeffrey's Bay, St Francis Bay and the start of the Garden Route, where the Langkloof mountain range offers some of the wildest hiking areas. Where you can, take a detour on the narrower coastal roads to experience some of the nooks and crannies that one just doesn't get to see from the national roads. And if you need reliable transport, there is a regular hop-on-hop-off minibus to Jeffrey's Bay and further along the Garden Route. This part of the Eastern Cape is also a malaria-free eco-destination, so head north-east towards Addo Elephant National Park and the Big Five game reserves. Addo is a highlight not to be missed. Only 72km from Port Elizabeth, the park was founded in 1931 to protect the Cape Elephant after a drive to cull the species. Over 120 elephant were shot in 1919. A recent expansion now sees the park incorporating 292 000 hectares and around 450 elephant. When the expansion programme is completed, it will be the third largest conservation area in South Africa. The area includes five game reserves and stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Little Karoo so you can see the Big Seven, elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, whale and Great White Shark. Closer to Port Elizabeth is the Seaview Game & Lion Park and the Kragga Kamma Game Park.
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Surrounding Areas
There is so much to explore just a few hours either side of this fun host city. To the west of PE is the Garden Route and to the east, the Sunshine Coast, Frontier Country and more than a million hectares of malaria-free game reserves. Take a break from supporting your team to experience the Eastern Cape countryside. A great way to get out and about with minimal effort is to board the Apple Express steam train for a day trip from PE to Thornhill. The train runs across the highest narrow gauge bridge in the world, Van Stadens Bridge (77m or 250 ft). The steam train is famous in PE for its annual Great Train Race held in the latter part of the year. The race sees runners trying to beat the train to Loerie, about 72km west of PE. Also in that area is the Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve, 35km from PE. It's a 500-hectare sanctuary that celebrates the region's indigenous flora and fauna. There's a visitors centre, nursery and picnic site. Two short walks are on offer: a forest walk and a river walk. Nature trails are a popular way to explore the area and they vary in difficulty. The 8km Sacramento Trail takes a coastal route along vegetated dunes of the Sardinia Bay Reserve. You could also overnight at the scenic Woody Cape Nature Reserve, which stretches from Sunday's River Mouth to the Bushman's River. The reserve incorporates one of the largest coastal dunefields in the world. Further inland, you'll find the arts festival town of Grahamstown (which takes place in early July) about 120km northeast of PE. Grahamstown is in close proximity to the charming seaside towns of Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea, where there is more sand, sea and water sports on offer.
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Local Map of Port Elizabeth
Map of Port Elizabeth, South Africa
*Click on map to enlarge
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View All South Africa World Cup Host Cities online.
Check Out our South Africa World Cup Stadiums page for statistics about all of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Venues.
View our South Africa World Cup Host City Distance page to view the distance (in miles) between the Host Cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - Information on the Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Packages and World Cup Tickets that we'll have to offer.
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