|
-
Mossel Bay - |
|
|
|
Overview
In our view Mossel Bay marks the western extremity of South
Africa's very popular Garden Route,
although other sources may include towns such as Gouritsriviermond and Stil
Bay to the west as well. Up-town
Mossel Bay offers great ocean views but this is one of the few towns on
the Garden Route that's not very
pretty.  It
has a harbour town feel to it, which it is. Most
tourists briefly pass through Mossel Bay to visit the Bartolomeu
Dias Museum Complex, which is a worthwhile destination. The town offers
a couple of other attractions as well, which makes a one or two night stay
a viable option.
The Bartholomeu Dias Museum Complex
The Bartholomeu Dias Museum
Complex in Mossel Bay is arguably the coastal town's most popular
tourism attraction. While the Complex's main focus is on honouring Portuguese
explorer Bartholomeu Dias - the first European to round the Cape
of Good Hope during the fifteenth century, it also covers other topics.
It consists of a couple of separate museum buildings as well as the Old
Post Office Tree Monument. The various
small museums are the Maritime Museum, Shell Museum, Grain Silo and Culture
Museum. For more on the Complex, click
here.
 Harbour
Mossel Bay features a small fishing and goods harbour. The harbour is
home to a couple of operators
who operate bay cruises, mostly to Seal Island offshore with opportunities
to see penguins, dolphins and whales (in season). Some offer scuba diving
and even shark-cage diving. As always Africa
Deluxe Tours gladly arranges participation in any of these activities
for our clients.
 Beaches
The only sandy beach, Santos Beach, is close to the harbour, but offers
good swimming. Its extension to the east is called Dias Beach, but it
is more or less the same beach and too close to an industrial area for
our liking. Both beaches are clean, child friendly and provide for safe
swimming.
However, if you're looking for beaches
with beautiful natural surroundings rather head to nearby Herold's Bay
or Victoria Bay.
The Point
Further from the central town area The Point area features a camping ground,
entertainment venues (e.g. go-kart racing) and a mid-sized 3-star hotel.
The Point has a rocky shoreline but is popular with surfers. Below the
hotel and adjoining restaurant are some rock pools popular for snorkel
diving. Above the hotel a scenic cliff-top path starts from a shallow
Cave below the Point Lighthouse. While the St. Blaize Trail is recommended,
care should be taken as it is not paved and there is no protective railing.
The 15km long trail reaches as far as Dana Bay.
Accommodation
Mossel Bay has a variety of accommodation options, but with the exception
of one or two guesthouses does not cater for the 5-star luxury market.
The three main hotels in town are all three star. As in other towns on
the Garden Route there's a host of B&B's and guesthouses available.
It is always advisable to book early, especially if you plan to visit
during South Africa's school
holidays.
Close to Mossel Bay
Oudtshoorn
 Mossel
Bay links to Oudtshoorn in the
Klein Karoo via the Robbinson Pass, which cuts across the Outeniqua
Mountains. It is also within easy driving distance from George. A good
idea for self-drive clients,
staying in Mossel Bay, is to make a full-day outing to Oudtshoorn
using a circle route incorporating the Robbinson Pass, Oudtshoorn
(Cango Caves, ostrich
show farms, Cango Wildlife
Ranch, etc.), the Outeniqua Pass and George.
Bungy
The Gouritz Bungy Site is a short drive from Mossel Bay and offers bridge-swinging
as well. While much cheaper, it is not nearly as high as the Bloukrans
River Bungy Site further east along the Garden
Route.
 MossGas
During the Apartheid years the South African government was under immense
pressure to find alternatives to oil imports as international sanctions
started biting. A very successful alternative developed through innovative
technology was the "oil from coal" processes developed by
SASOL.
A rather unsuccessful
initiative was MossGas. A short drive along the N2,
west of Mossel Bay, you'll pass the huge MossGas Oil Refinery. It was
designed to refine oil and natural gas piped in from an offshore rig
but has proven financially unviable. In discussions about MossGas the
term "white elephant" is never far off. It does however add
to South Africa's ability to
refine crude oil adding to the capacity of a number of other refineries
in the country.
Other
Mossel Bay is also close to Hartenbos, Groot & Klein Brak, Glentana,
Herold's Bay and Victoria Bay.
(Coming soon: Mossel Bay's history)
|
|
| Internet resources:
Rough
Guide* - destinations - South Africa - explore - Garden Route
| Frommer's*
- destinations - South Africa - Regions - Garden Route |
|
| Your contribution:
Click
here to add, comment on, or correct a topic. Click
here to share a personal experience or impression with our website visitors.
Click
here to send
an e-mail to the people behind this website. |
|
|
|
|
Quickies
