Roots beach with a delicious vibe at the Wild Coast of South Africa
Such an amazing place! Coffee Bay is located in the Wild Coast of South Africa, and is a place with a unique vibe. It´s very chilled, perfect for nature and beach lovers, surfers, hikers, for who is interested in the villages culture, or looking for a place to relax and to meet people.
Most people spend only two days there – if you´re planning to visit Coffee Bay, I´d highly recommend you to stay longer. Once you get there, you´ll know why…
There are plenty of things to do in Coffee Bay! Check out some ideas here:
HOLE IN THE WALL
The Hole in the Wall is definitely the main attraction in the area. It´s an offshore huge rock with a hole in the center, eroded by the force of the water (it´s on the way of a river). There are many histories about how it was formed in the Xhosa mythology.
It´s located about 8km from Coffee Bay, going on the road. To visit it, you can stay at the Hole in the Wall village (there are some hotels there), or just go for the day, in a hike.
The hike from Coffee Bay takes about 3 hours, up and down hill. It´s not so easy, some parts are very stiff, but the amazing views totally compensate the effort. Also, you might see some whales or dolphins on the way.
It´s easy to navigate, you basically go by the coast, on the cliffs. You can either go by yourself or with a guide – at Coffee Shack Backpackers they organize group hikes there, every week, for a very good price, including lunch and the shuttle back.
The best option is to go hiking and to come back by shuttle, as it´s quite a long walk, and you should definitely relax and enjoy the place without rushing once you get there. The hostel Coffee Shack can arrange the shuttle back for you.
It´s recommend to wear hiking shoes, and to take at least one liter of water with you. Also, don´t forget to use sunscreen and to wear your swimming suit – you can swim at the sea in front of the hole.
Are you going to Coffee Bay? Here you can check all the accommodation options, from hostels to hotels and resorts. And if you book it through this link, you help to maintain this blog online, and you don´t have to pay anything for that.
SURFING LESSONS
At Coffee Shack they provide surf lessons every day, in the morning and also in the afternoon (7AM and 3PM). The instructor is very good, patient and nice, and helps you a lot with his tips. The lessons usually take two hours, including lots of explanations and training on the sand, before going to the water.
The price is totally inexpensive – 50 rands for each lesson, including the wet suit and the board. Each lesson is is only for 5 people, so make sure you book it in advance.
They also organize twice a week a Beach Day, which is pretty cool. It costs only 50 rands, including lunch (toasted sandwiches), and you can spend the whole day at the beach, learning to surf (the surfing lessons are for free). You can also play football with the locals or play beach volleyball, if you aren´t into surfing.
BEACH
The beach at Coffee Bay is very good to chill, and even during the winter the water is not too cold (the Indian Ocean is warmer than the Atlantic one). If you are staying at Coffee Shack, to get to the main beach you have to walk about 15 minutes (you can also try to swim just in front of the hostel, but it´s very rocky there, it´s better to go to the beach).
Bloggers tip: the sunset at the top of the mountain is pretty, and it´s an easy walk up there. Don´t forget to bring a beer with you!
XHOSA VILLAGE
Coffee Bay is located in the Eastern Cape, surrounded by Xhosa villages. If you´re visiting Coffee Bay, why not to learn more about the local culture, visiting a Xhosa village?
You can visit a village in a Walking Tour – the hostel Coffee Shack organizes it once a week. It´s a day tour, where you learn about how they build their houses (“rondavels”), always facing north, about the mud bricks they prepare, the colors used to paint them, the grass they use for the ceiling, and the plants they use as medicine.
An interesting thing you learn at the visit is about the ritual for a boy to become a man – they spend a whole month at the “bushes”, without clothes (just a blanket), with the body painted in white, so that they can get married after that. Also, you realize how sexist is their culture (for example, women have to seat on the floor for eating, and also they do all the house work).
At the tour you also get to try natural make ups (mud) that they use for a party, and to visit the Sacred Pool. You see lots of beautiful views on the way.
You have lunch at the village, with a local lady, who prepares a tasty and local food (included in the tour). You finish the tour visiting a local pub in the main area of Coffee Bay and get to try their homemade beer (which tastes like fermented milk… haha). The tour costs 110 rands (including lunch – Aug/16).
HIKES
There are many beautiful hikes that you can do in the Coffee Bay area:
– 5 days hike: if you have plenty of time, you can do a 5 days hike, from Port St John till Coffee Bay, which apparently is quite an experience! You can hire a guide, or even do it by yourself.
– Day hikes from Coffee Bay (in and out): another option is to stay in Coffee Bay and to do day hike (to Lubanzi or Mdumbi it takes about 4 hours), and to go back to the hostel by shuttle (you can arrange this directly at the hostel).
The Hole in the Wall is on the way to Lubanzi, you can hike there (3h) and then keep walking till Lubanzi, or just take a shuttle back. You can read more about the Hole in the Wall here.
– Day hikes staying at the hostels: also, you can go on a day hike to Mdumbi or Lubanzi (4 hours each way) and sleep there at the hostels (Mdumbi Backpackers and Lubanzi Backpackers). It´s also a great way to explore the area, and to try different experiences (in Mdumbi the hostel in inside the village, where they don´t even have electricity)!
– Bulungula: this is another beautiful and very roots beach. To get to Bulungula, from Coffee Bay you can do a day hike to Lubanzi (4 hours), spend the night there, and then hike to Bulungula the next day (4 hours as well).
VOLUNTEERING
At Coffee Shack they are also responsible for the Sustainable Coffee Bay, a NPO that run many projects to help the local community. You can read more about it here.
How about you? Have you already been to Coffee Bay and have some cool tips about the village? Or do you plan to visit it and have some doubts? Share your ideas leaving a comment here!
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The blogger stayed in Coffee Bay by invitation of Coffee Shack Backpackers. I’d like to thank again for the opportunity, and also make it clear that all the opinions present here are independent and personal.
