Explore the fabulous St Francis Bay!
St Francis Bay was first sighted by Portuguese sailors in 1575 and is named after the Patron Saint of Sailors, St Francis. Situated only an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth and only 15 minutes off the N2, St Francis Bay beckons.
This unique and exclusive paradise on South Africa’s Kouga Coast draws holiday-makers from all over the world to enjoy the glorious beaches lapped by the warm Indian Ocean, excellent water-sport facilities, a leisurely lifestyle and the magical beauty of its unspoilt surroundings.
This magnificent up-market village is unique in that the architecture with its aesthetic uniformity blend harmoniously with the green of the indigenous heritage which surrounds it.
The Kromme River, navigable for 10km’s twists and winds its way down to an extensive canal system lined with charming white-walled homes with thatched roofs, offering residents and holiday makers an exotic marina lifestyle. The marina gives way to Mediterranean styled homes crowned with terracotta tiles in Santareme and luxury apartments, encircling the turquoise waters, at Port St Francis.
In the distance lies the informal village of Cape St Francis with its historical lighthouse and 15km’s to the west, Oyster Bay. The lighthouse was built in 1878 to warn ships of the dangerous reefs that stretch more than a kilometre out to sea. It is the tallest masonry tower on the South African coast, standing at a height of 27.5 meters and is now a National Monument.
St Francis Bay is now famous as one of the surfing hotspots in the world. The 1966 film, The Endless Summer, directed by Bruce Brown, follows two surfers (Mike Hynson and Robert August) around the world in their search for the perfect wave … which of course they find in St Francis Bay! Nearby Jeffreys Bay hosts the annual Billabong Pro surf event which features the world’s top ranked surfing elite including 8-time world champion, Kelly Slater who is a single-figure handicapped golfer and frequents the fairways of St Francis Links when he is not surfing!