Jeffreys Bay
“Perfect” is how Etienne Venter describes the pounding waves of the mighty South Atlantic at Jeffreys Bay (or J-Bay), about an hour’s drive west from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and 7.5 hours drive east of Cape Town.
“You can be flying down the line on one of the best rides of your life at the world-famous Supertubes, while three kilometres away a person can be catching the first wave of their life at Dolphin Beach,” he says. “The main surfing hub is called the Golden Mile because with the right tide and swell direction, you can ride a ‘mile’-long wave.”
Venter started Jeffreys Bay Surf School (jbaysurfschool.co.za) in 2000. “In the 1980s and early ’90s there was very little to do for entertainment when the waves were flat; it was hard to even find a proper grocery store. Now there are restaurants and coffee shops, loads of shopping options, surf schools – and all in a relatively narrow five-kilometre stretch.”
Though famous for surfing since the area was featured in 1966’s The Endless Summer, there’s still a laid-back vibe to J-Bay. White buildings with red tile or thatched roofs contrast with the blue sky, golf courses pepper the landscape outside town and one of the most popular eateries around is a fish-and-chipper: Vismandjie (110 Da Gama Road; +27 42 293 1421), a couple of blocks from the beach in the town centre. Here, you can eat the morning’s catch, cooked however you like. And for a safari that takes you away from the sea, there are game reserves to see the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo) just a few kilometres from J-Bay.
While many game reserves have their own accommodation, the white Art Decoesque Diaz 15 House on the Bay (hotel. qantas.com.au/diaz15houseonthebay) is the pick of the beachside options, with nine spacious suites, an outdoor pool and stylish terraces right along the sand.
Venter has tips for surfers hoping to catch the ultimate ride: “Most of the waves in J-Bay break over rocks, which can be sharp. And Supertubes is an advanced wave that can dish out serious punishment if you get caught in the wrong place.” And sharks? “I’ve never encountered one at J-Bay. I surf or coach just about every single day so my odds are high.”