Drive South Africa’s Wild Coast Road
Do not let this name deter you. South Africa’s Wild Coast Road has some of the loveliest scenery anywhere. However, mariners gave it the wild name in the days of sail, for there are long stretches of tall cliffs against which mountainous surf beats.
Pick up your 4×4 motorhome or campervan rental at glittering Durban King Shaka International Airport, and head south along a superb highway to Port Edward 200 kilometres (125) miles away. There you can enjoy tasty light treats at the lighthouse restaurant and meet the official keeper. In olden days, seafarers were left to their own devices.
Drive the Wild Coast Road from Port Edward to Coffee Bay
The 375 kilometre (235 mile) Wild Coast road crosses a number of rivers that were once harbours before the railways came. Most of the coastal resorts are on untarred roads off the main route. Inquire ahead regarding their condition especially in rainy season. Once there, you will discover the sheer joy of being able to camp within sight and sound of waves.
The relative inaccessibility of these places adds to their charm, and is one of the reasons why these are still secrets for most. The distances are so short by African standards we hardly mention them from hereon. We travel inland via Lusikisiki – the name recalls reeds rustling in the breeze – before we arrive in Port St Johns. Here are three wide, sandy beaches edging on a forested reserve called Silaka.
Onward to Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast Route
The road draws us onward towards Coffee Bay, and a hole in a cliff through which breakers roar at high tide. The name recalls a freighter that shipwrecked and scattered its cargo on golden sands to the delight of farmers. There are many more wrecks awaiting your discovery on this remarkable Wild Coast. Alas, only a stout pair of hiking boots will transport you there.
Coffee Bay is a small Wild Coast town, with a caravan park many claim is one of the best in South Africa, albeit not the most sophisticated. If you follow the road further in your RV or motorhome rental, it will take you to East London on the Buffalo River, one of South Africa’s larger cities and ports. On the way, you could visit the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, where the great man reunited with his ancestral spirits at the end of his life.
