TRAVEL & THINGS TO DO
There are two main international airports in South Africa; Johannesburg and Cape Town. Johannesburg is SA’s main airport and therefore has more inbound flights per day than Cape Town which typically means flights are cheaper.
For anyone needing to overnight in Johannesburg before flying to Port Elizabeth, we recommend staying at the City Lodge Hotel at OR Thambo which is directly connected to the airport (clhg.com/hotels/152/city-lodge-hotel--or-tambo-international-airport). It's nothing fancy but the rooms are clean and there is a restaurant in the hotel so a very easy option.
Getting to St Francis once you have arrived in South Africa
To get to St Francis from Johannesburg or Cape Town, you will need to take an internal flight or drive. If you are flying straight through to Port Elizabeth from overseas, we recommend booking your internal flight with your international flight as it often works out cheaper and ensures you are covered if there are any flight delays.
From Johannesburg:
1. Fly to Port Elizabeth airport (PLZ) then drive to St Francis Bay
From Cape Town:
1. Fly to Cape Town airport (CPT)
2. Drive along the Garden Route to St Francis (see below drive times)
The Port Elizabeth airport (also called Gqeberha) is the closest airport and is about 1 hour 15 mins drive to St Francis Bay. There are car hire services at the airport.
Domestic Airlines
There are a number of safe and low cost airlines in South Africa including:
- Kulula
- Mango
- Safair
- SA Airlink
* Travel time from Port Elizabeth - about 1.5 hours
* Travel time from Cape Town - about 7.5 hours
* Travel time from Johannesburg - about 12.0 hours
* Travel time from Durban - about 12.0 hours
We recommend having a car whilst you are in St Francis given there are no taxi services in the village.
South Africa is a safe country to drive in with very good highways along the Garden Route (for those driving to and from Port Elizabeth and Cape Town). You only need to exercise caution when driving in certain areas of Johannesburg and Cape Town but it is very unlikely you will be in those areas as a tourist.
The usual hire car companies operate from Cape Town/Port Elizabeth airports (Europcar, Budget, Avis, Thrifty, Sixt).
For anyone looking for a transfer from the Port Elizabeth airport to St Francis Bay you can contact J Bay Cabs to arrange (https://www.jbaycabs.com/).
Bruces - Very chilled little café near the beach called ‘Granny’s Pool’. Awesome spot for kids as they can paddle in the rock pools. Also a popular spot for surfers.
https://goo.gl/maps/mLJ2GM6SKbfRXRq89
Rambling Rose - Garden café with great breakie options and entertainment for the kids.
https://goo.gl/maps/tCmHV2MXseyo9CDZ7
Nevermind - Laid back restaurant/cafe set right next to the Cape St Francis Lighthouse serving good breakie, baked goods for takeaway and share plate style food. The lighthouse is still in operation but they do allow people to climb to the top for a small donation. Ask at the Kiosk.
https://goo.gl/maps/QoiBLC6itrq1BkVb8
Coastal Collective - Health cafe, deli and boutique in Cape St Francis.
https://goo.gl/maps/aKhEw3Qv1vzRNTuY9
Trade Winds Cafe - For the best French toast and bacon - look no further!
Off the Menu Deli - Café and deli in town.
https://goo.gl/maps/QXLDmx3YpQ9rEnZr8
The Bakery St Francis Bay - Great place for a quick breaky stop or takeaway coffee.
https://goo.gl/maps/q4mxQNzTwAsAZdSV6
Scuro Coffee Crafts - Takeaway coffee in town.
Given the time of year, we recommend calling restaurants for lunch/dinner bookings just to be on the safe side.
St Francis Brewing Company - Local brewery and restaurant in town serving burgers & tex mex food. Good atmosphere and live music occasionally. Try their easy drinking Beach Blonde beer!
https://goo.gl/maps/ZVd8gMnbJfa9F7Ju7
Big Time Taverna (also referred to as ‘The Greek') - Set right on the canals, The Greek is one of the longest standing restaurants in St Francis. Serving traditional Greek food with a great atmosphere.
https://goo.gl/maps/y6PszT35fXQz91tR6
Peri Peri - Upstairs from The Greek with a great view and tasty Portuguese food.
https://goo.gl/maps/xjwioYStWpdxfxG87
The Quays - Chilled restaurant also on the canals, perfect for a casual bite to eat or some afternoon drinks. This is where we will be having the Meet and Greet! Great for children as there is a sand floor, swings and lots of lawn for the kids to run around. This is also where lots of the outdoor sports events in St Francis start from.
https://goo.gl/maps/kxnm9e5D9bEMv6nj6
Mauros - Italian restaurant overlooking the Port, delicious food, nice setting and the owner loves his music!
https://goo.gl/maps/5woFnJP5x95LXgYt5
Chokka Block - Also located at the Port, the restaurant itself isn’t much to look at but if reasonably priced, delicious seafood and fish is what you’re after - this is your place!
https://g.page/chokkablock?share
Nevermind - Modern restaurant located at the Cape St Francis lighthouse. Laid back feel but with yummy share plate style food using fresh, in season, locally sourced ingredients. There is usually Sunday live music sessions during December.
Mr Gavin's Sushi Restaurant - Awesome fresh sushi in town that is open to dine or take away
https://goo.gl/maps/Vaz2VNJex1wmvtbMA
Bistro Vin de Boeuf - Parisian influenced restaurant in town with deli shop downstairs which does breakfast
https://goo.gl/maps/xAC1LhDEkjbRcbN7A
Christy's Seafood & Grill - Seafood restaurant in town
https://goo.gl/maps/foys2MapkT9sp9o16
Restaurants a short drive away from St Francis...
Le Chameleon - Quirky, cosy restaurant, deli and boutique serving traditional afrikaans inspired food in Humansdorp. (15 mins drive from St Francis Bay)
https://goo.gl/maps/94hYonYAPBE54fkG6
Padlangs Country Restaurant - Located in the Gamtoos Valley and surrounded by citrus farms, Padlangs is in a beautiful setting! (1 hour drive from St Francis Bay)
https://g.page/padlangscountryrestaurant?share
Mooihoek Strawberry Picking Farm - if strawberry picking and a bite to eat appeals to you, a drive to Hankey could be a fun option for a day trip inland! (40 mins drive from St Francis Bay)
Booze cruise on the canals
One of the quintessential St Francis activities is an evening booze cruise on the canals. The below companies do booze cruises as well as other activities on the Kromme river.
RiverBreak - seals@iafrica.com
St Francis Bay Adventures - https://www.facebook.com/stfrancisbayadventures
St Francis Safaris - https://www.stfrancissafaris.co.za/
Golf
There are two golf courses in St Francis. Given the time of year, it is probably wise to book a golf slot in advance.
St Francis Links - https://stfrancislinks.com/golf/
St Francis Bay Golf Club - https://stfrancisgolf.co.za/
Beaches
St Francis Bay's beaches tend to disappear when the tide is high so make sure to check the tide table! Most of the beaches also don't have life savers (T.I.A bru) so please watch for rip tides and be safe. Main Beach and the Cape St Francis Beach are the only two that have life savers.
'The Spit' - An area where the Kromme river mouth meets the canals and the ocean. Here there is a big sand bank for kids to run around and you can wade in the water with no waves.
https://goo.gl/maps/Z7PGg27btL6cL6u38
'The Cove' - This is a small beach on the canals that is great when it is windy as it is usually quite a protected area.
Granny's Pool - Small beach with rock pools, great spot for kids! You can also get a quick bite to eat or ice cream at Bruce's Cafe next to the parking lot.
https://goo.gl/maps/tigNNZpnKGapzGnm7
St Francis Bay Beaches - these beaches stretch along the coast from Main Beach to The Spit. See below where the various car parks are:
Main Beach - https://goo.gl/maps/8tFhbHtFdFqMPHFd7
Anne Beach - https://goo.gl/maps/aTE5UmHNJjKsbSHc8
Hobie Beach - https://goo.gl/maps/Tq52tQgSz76BK6E28
Aldabara Beach - goo.gl/maps/YmVFcUjvWXwJyQ399
Cape St Francis Beach - This is the biggest stretch of beach in the area and is also where the best surf is.
Watersports
Surfing - the best surf spots are at Cape St Francis Beach and Jeffrey's Bay Supertubes.
Paddling
Wind surfing
South Africa boasts a large number of game reserves and national parks, each with something different to offer.
The various options around Kruger and Madikwe are the most accessible from Johannesburg, which may suit those flying into/out of Joburg as a side trip. These game reserves are also some of the largest in the country and hold a huge abundance of wildlife over massive areas, and are well-known for fantastic game viewing.
For those looking a bit closer to the wedding location, the Eastern Cape also has a number of game viewing options in both national parks and private game reserves. This includes Addo Elephant National Park, which is a c.2hr drive from St Francis (and therefore great for an overnight stay or even a day trip), and a number of private game reserves in this area to stay for a few days (including Shamwari, Amakhala, Kariega, Kichaka, Hopewell, etc. to name a few examples). To the North of St Francis in the Karoo (semi-arid region) there are also some parks/reserves including Mountain Zebra National Park, Camdeboo National Park and private reserves near Graaff-Reinet.
Depending on your budget, you can look at various different options when in the parks/reserves. These range from self-guided tours, staying in government run lodges and camps within the park boundaries and driving yourself around the park (will be cheaper and perhaps more flexible with booking options), through to luxury all-inclusive lodges with expert guides and unique lodging. These are all great options depending on what you are looking for, and each will hopefully allow you to experience some of the amazing wildlife and landscape that Africa has to offer while here.
We note however that December is a busy period for tourism in South Africa, so we recommend booking your safari as soon as possible - and please let us know if helpful to discuss ideas!