Things to do in Plettenberg Bay

Beaches, whales, forest and the Robberg peninsula, from people who live and drive here.

The best things to do in Plettenberg Bay are mostly outdoors and mostly within twenty minutes of the town centre. Plett has a long arc of beach, a rocky peninsula walk that is among the finest on this coast, whales and dolphins offshore for much of the year, and a cluster of animal sanctuaries just inland. Here is what is worth your time, and how to get here.

On the coast

Robberg Nature Reserve

A rocky peninsula reaching out into the sea, with three marked routes ranging from a short loop to a four hour circuit out to the point and back along the beach. Seals haul out on the rocks below and the views back across the bay are the best in Plett. Take water and proper shoes, because there is scrambling on the long route.

Central Beach and Lookout Beach

Central Beach sits right below town and is the easy one, calm and walkable with the boats launching off it. Lookout is the surf beach a little further along, backed by a headland with a restaurant on top that is the classic spot for watching the bay.

Whale and dolphin watching

Southern right whales come into the bay to calve through the winter and into spring, humpbacks pass on migration, and bottlenose and common dolphins are around most of the year. You can often see them from the Lookout deck without going anywhere, and permitted boat trips run from Central Beach.

Keurbooms and the lagoon

A few minutes east of town, the Keurbooms river runs down to a lagoon and a long, quiet beach. Canoes and small boats can be hired to go up the river into the gorge, which is a calm half day and good with children.

Animals and forest

Monkeyland

A free-roaming primate sanctuary where a guided walk takes you through the forest canopy among species from several continents. The animals are not caged and the walk is genuinely good on how each group arrived.

Birds of Eden

Next door to Monkeyland and the same idea with birds, under what is claimed to be the largest free-flight aviary of its kind. It is a shaded walkway through forest and over water and it works in any weather.

The Crags and the forest road

The stretch of the N2 east of Plett runs through The Crags, with farm stalls, a padstal or two and the entrances to most of the sanctuaries. It is a pleasant slow drive and a good rainy day option.

Tsitsikamma and Storms River

Half an hour further east is Tsitsikamma National Park, the suspension bridge at Storms River Mouth, and the Bloukrans Bridge bungee at 216 metres. Plett makes a comfortable base for a day out there.

Food, wine and slower days

The Plettenberg Bay wine route

Plett sits at the eastern end of the Cape wine growing area and the local estates specialise in cool climate whites and bubbly. Most are ten to twenty minutes from town and several do lunch with a view over the vines.

Golf

Goose Valley and the Plettenberg Bay Golf Course are both in town, and the Garden Route generally is well supplied with courses if you are here to play.

Beach walks and sundowners

The arc from Central Beach around to Keurbooms is long enough for a proper walk, and the town is small enough that you can finish it with a drink somewhere looking at the water. This is what most repeat visitors actually come for.

Segway and forest trails

Guided Segway trails run through the indigenous forest nearby, which is an easy way to cover ground with children or anyone who would rather not walk far.

How to get to Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay is on the N2 at the eastern end of the Garden Route, past Knysna. If you are not driving yourself, there are three ways in.

Scheduled shuttle from Cape Town. Gecko runs a seat-per-person shuttle five days a week. It leaves Cape Town Mowbray at 13:30 and reaches Plettenberg Bay at 21:30, and comes back out of Plett at 05:30. Fares and the full timetable are on the Plettenberg Bay to Cape Town shuttle page.

From George Airport. George is the nearest airport with regular flights, about two hours away by road. We run private door to door transfers, and there is also a scheduled shuttle leg covered on the George to Plettenberg Bay shuttle page.

Along the Garden Route. The same shuttle links Plett with Knysna, George and Mossel Bay, so you can move between towns without hiring a car. Every stop and time is on the shuttle service page.

Common questions about visiting Plettenberg Bay

Question: What is Plettenberg Bay known for?
Answer: Plett is known for its beaches, the Robberg peninsula and its whales. Southern right whales calve in the bay through winter and spring, and the town also has a cluster of free-roaming animal sanctuaries just inland at The Crags, including Monkeyland and Birds of Eden.

Question: Is Plettenberg Bay worth visiting?
Answer: Yes, particularly if you like being outside. Within twenty minutes you have a four hour coastal hike, several swimming beaches, a river lagoon, a small wine route and a set of animal sanctuaries. Two to three days is a comfortable stay and it works as a base for Tsitsikamma as well.

Question: When is the best time to visit Plettenberg Bay?
Answer: December and January are warmest and busiest, and accommodation is booked far ahead. Whale watching is best from roughly June to November. Spring and autumn give mild weather, fewer people and good hiking conditions, which is when many repeat visitors come.

Question: How do you get to Plettenberg Bay without a car?
Answer: George Airport is about two hours away and private transfers run door to door. A scheduled shuttle also runs between Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay five days a week with a seat booked per person, stopping at Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Swellendam and other towns along the N2.

That is the short list of things to do in Plettenberg Bay, and it leaves plenty out. If you are still working out how to piece a trip together, or how to move along the coast without a hire car, the shuttle timetable and our Garden Route day tours are the two pages worth reading next.