Jeffreys Bay, the surfers paradise in South Africa

Beautiful beaches and perfect waves in J-bay

If you´re keen on surfing, Jeffreys Bay (or J-bay, as it is popular known) is definitely your place. It´s a perfect spot for those who already surf, and also for who wants to start learning. The beaches are beautiful and it´s worth a visit even for those who just want to relax.

You might also like:

– The amazing Garden Route

– BIG, a perfect place to Backpackers in Cape Town

– Foodie Thursdays, a must do for all foodies

THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN JBAY

– Surf: Jbay is known as one of the best places in the world for surfing, for its perfect waves and tubes. It hosts the annual World Surf League event in July (the J-Bay Open), when the beach gets crowded of surfers and spectators.  You can easily rent a board and go surfing at many places at the beach. Also, you can go on a surfing camp (3-5 days), many places offer it there.

– Surfing Lessons: Jbay is a good place to take some Surf Lessons. One good surfing school is the one at Island Vibe Backpackers, they have good instructors and also a good price for the lessons (250 rands for 2 hours of lessons – Aug/16). As you´re in the surf paradise, why not to give it a try?

– Beach Horse Riding: a cool thing to do in Jbay is to do horse riding at the sand dunes. The views are amazing, and it´s a different way of exploring the bay. You ride for about 14km through deserted beaches, and you have the chance to spot whales and dolphins.

Are you going to Jeffreys 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.

– Sandboarding: another nice thing to in the sand dunes! You can go up and down as many times as you feel like, to experience a different feeling than snowboarding.

–  Township Tours: in Jbay you can also do a guided visit to one of the local communities, to learn about their culture and way of living. It costs 150 rands (Aug/16).

– Parties: if you´re looking for a party, Island Vibe Backpackers is your place! The hostel has great parties almost every night during summer time, and also during the weekends off season.

SHOPPING

There are many surf factories shops in J-Bay, such as BillaBong, Ripcurl and Quicksilver. There´s even a Surf Village, where you can find many of these surf factories shops. If you´re looking for surfing gear or clothes and accessories, this is your place.

BLOGGERS TIP: You can compare the prices of different travel insurances accessing this link, it´s very practical to choose a good one.

GETTING THERE

Jbay is located in the Eastern Cape, about 75 km from Port Elizabeth. Many people rent a car for traveling in South Africa, you can go there when doing a tour in the Garden Route (I visited it when I finished my Garden Route tour with Earthstompers – you can read more about it here).

You can also take a bus such as GreyHound or Intercape – it´s a long trip, though, it takes about 12 hours to get there.

If you´re backpacking, or traveling by yourself, the most practical and comfy way to get there is taking the hop-on hop-off Baz Bus. They pick you up at your hostel and drop you off at the door of your next destination. Also, you meet lots of backpackers on the way! It´s a really cool way of traveling in South Africa – you can read more about it here.

SLEEPING

A really cool place for staying in J-Bay is the Island Vibe Backpackers. The hostel is great, located just by the beach, and, as the name suggests, it has the best vibe.

It has a roots decoration, in a beach style. There are many open air areas to relax, with hammocks, sunbeds, a braai (barbecue) area and a spacious garden.

The bar is great, they organize cool parties there, especially during summer time. You can also play pool, foosball or beer pong there.

The hostel´s restaurant offers a delicious food all day long, for a good price. Every night they serve a yummy dinner, which should be booked in advance.

It has two communal kitchens fully equipped, perfect for preparing your own meal and saving some money.

The rooms are spacious and comfy, ensuite, with a balcony and a great view of the beach. They also have dorms for 4 to 12 people with shared bathrooms. The prices start at 160 rands for a dorm, and at 500 rands for a double (Oct/16).

It´s located about 15 minutes walking from the town center. They organize surfing lessons and tours there at the hostel.

You can book it or find more info about the hostel here at their site.

How about you? Have you already been to Jeffreys Bay and have some cool tips about the city? Or do you plan to visit it and have some doubts? Share your ideas leaving a comment here!

If you like this post, please share it! Sharing is caring! =)

Planning your trip:

– Accommodation: you can book your accommodation here – hotels/hostels comparing and free booking cancel

– Travel Insurance: compare different prices of travel insurances and choose the best option

– Car Rental: compare different prices of car rentals here

———————

The blogger stayed at Island Vibe Backpackers by invitation of the hostel. I’d like to thank again for the opportunity, and also make it clear that all the opinions present here are independent and personal.