East London is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean and at the same time - on the banks of the Buffalo River. This is the only river port of South Africa. There are a couple of curious museums and a couple of interesting art galleries, but travelers do not choose East London for that. The city is widely known among surfers, and its beaches are considered one of the best in the country, not only for surfing, but for anything else than you would like to do on a luxurious, wide, multi-kilometer ocean beach with clean fine sand.
How to get to East London
It's easy to get to the city by car on Highway N2 from Port Elizabeth or Durban, and by N6 - from Bloemfontein. True, it is much more pleasant, moving from Port Elizabeth, to choose the route R72: it is named "Romantic coastal road" and a bit longer, but the views from here are stunning, and on the way come across pretty small towns such as Port Alfred. The plane can fly to East London from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, as well as from some smaller cities. Direct trains run to East London from Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Cape Town.
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A little history
The history of the city begins in 1836, when the first 1820 settlers landed at the mouth of the Buffalo River and founded a settlement here. Initially, it was named Port-Rex, as was the port itself, which began work in 1870. Later, East London began to develop on the west bank of the river, having received the status of the city in 1914. Many settlers from Germany arrived here, and so far, although the Germans quickly anglized, German surnames are not uncommon in East London
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of East London
The pride of East London is an amazing coastline with beaches with white sand and surfing places. Such as the reef Nahun. Residents of more northern places come here overseas and sunshine for New Year and Easter holidays
- To frolic on the water slides in Westbank, near Morningside
- On the beach of Gaidos, take a peek in the shop "Milksheyk" and the legendary "Windmill."
- In the evening, go to the super popular dance club "Nambers" - on Friday, if you are very young, and on Saturday, if you are over 30.
- Spend on the beach day, week or, if possible, all your life.
One of the most notable architectural sights is the festival the red-white building of the Town Hall that is on Oxford Street . It is preceded by a bronze equestrian statue erected in 1908 . in memory of those killed in the Anglo-Boer War . Interesting and Victorian building Gaithly House, which belonged to the Mayor of the city in the 1870s ., and today is listed as a national monument . The museum has been opened in the building, where you can get acquainted with the Victorian way of life of a famous resident of the city, and the beautiful garden . is located on the territory. And the building of the Woolly Exchange was was built in 1930 by the . association of wool and mohair merchants: back in the 1890s . East- London declared itself to be the main wool trade center in South Africa . The building was subsequently purchased by the University of Rhodes so that visitors can view this national monument from within with the permission of the university administration .
In the harbor, near the water, there are very good restaurants, with a wide variety of menus and views of yachts from open terraces. Some of them have their own yachts and boats, which can be rented for a party with refreshments. A nearby lighthouse is Hood Point, a modest worker 19 meters high with a bright red roof
The City Museum has several curious exhibits, most notably of which is the "living fossil" - the coelacanth (more precisely, its effigy) . It a large prehistoric fishermen from the detachment of crackmen, who fell into the network of a local fisherman in 1938 . Nowadays, the coelacanths that appeared in the world more than 50 million years ago, there were supposedly 200-300 pieces . In addition, the museum exhibited a large The skeleton of a fossil reptile with a skull and fossils from Leggings of footprints aged about 120 thousand . years is the earliest evidence of the existence of homo sapiens in Africa . Also in the museum you can see a lot of statues and learn more about the historical discoveries and battles of British soldiers with local residents .
The East London Aquarium, the oldest in South Africa, was opened in 1931 and plays an important role in preserving the fauna of the coast. Here you can observe the migration of humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins through binoculars with a specially designed deck. In addition, the aquarium contains a colony of African penguins, which reproduce here; and there is an aquarium with sharks, a rare type of lobster and a special pool for injured sea animals: turtles, seals, dolphins.
The city zoo near the center is rather small. Here live about 50 mammals, including chimpanzees and white lions. In addition, the zoo has birds, fish and reptiles, but especially interesting is the exotic vegetation collected here. Children can ride a pony or a toy train.
Ann Brent Gallery has collected many different paintings from around the country. The main emphasis is on the art of the Eastern Cape. Here you can see a collection of paintings by South African artists of the 20th century, mostly working in the Victorian and Dutch style. The Gallery occupies an elegant old mansion, built in 1905 at the corner of Oxford Street and St. Mark's Road. Officially it was open to the public in 1947. There is a small cafe at the exhibition hall
Another modern art space - the Malcolm Dewey Gallery on Darlington Road. Here you can see not only oil landscapes painted with water and the trees of Dewey's brush, but also selected works by artists from the region and the country.
Hemingways Historical Casino opened in the city in the 1920s, and its decor has not since has changed. Here you can play roulette, blackjack and poker, and try your luck at one of the 380 slot machines. The ultra-exclusive "Prive" salon is designed for players whose stakes are really high.
Book the popular East London hotels at the best prices
| Premier Hotel East London ICC from 6 172 rubles East London 22 / 3 Esplanade, Beach Front, East London | Stratfords Guesthouse from 5 486 rubles East London 31 Frere Road | Blarney House B & B from 3 693 rubles East London 10 Reynolds View |
| Hoylake Inn from 3 165 rubles East London 6 Hoylake Road, Bunkers Hill | Premier Hotel Regent from 6 067 rubles East London 22 Esplanade, Beach Front | Goulden Street Guest House from 3 535 rubles East London 3 Goulden Street, Quigney |
Beaches of East London
Among the beaches for bathing Orient is one of the most popular. The waves here are weak, and here it is very safe. On the beach you can spend the whole day: for children there is a "Water Pipe", and behind the beach are arranged lawns for rest. Plus, shops and hotels are relatively close.
Gonubi Beach with the Blue Flag is especially popular with families with children. Along it stretches the path, which offers a beautiful view: from here you can admire the whales and dolphins, not to mention the surfers. The beach is 8 km from the city, near the village of the same name, which is now considered a suburb of East London.
There are also good waves on the East beach, although it attracts photographers more. The beach is located in the heart of the East London coast and close to the city aquarium.
Cove Rock Beach, which is 10 km from the city, is suitable primarily for surfing and diving, among bathers it is not very popular. In addition, you can observe the whales from the high cable-stayed platforms, and also - behind the seabirds, which nest in the surrounding bizarre sandstone formations. Cove Rock has excellent places for fishing.
Aygoda Beach is about 15 km from East London, but this is a real paradise for nature lovers. Here, at the river mouth, you can swim perfectly, and in the wooded dunes you get wonderful picnics. In late spring and early summer wild flowers bloom here, and it's really worth seeing. The beach can be reached from the village of Winterstrand
Yellow Sands Beach is located 23 km from the city, directly opposite the picturesque mouth of the River Kvelera. Surfers like it the same as swimmers, and lovers of fishing can choose here between sea and river fishing. Next to the parking lot, there is a parking lot for water skiing.
Glengarryff is relatively unknown: it is an untouched part of the Wild Coast, which is located about 25 km from East London and is a white sand strip stretching for many kilometers. A beautiful lagoon is absolutely safe for swimming; on the beach you can practice kite surfing, diving, surfing and fishing.
And Glen-Eden is considered one of the best beaches for meditating to watch the dawn. Although here, of course, you can swim and walk in your own pleasure.
The neighborhood of East London
The Amalinda nature reserve was established in 1968 and surrounds the large reservoir of the same name and several smaller reservoirs. The reserve is located only 9 km from the city center and covers an area of 134 hectares, mainly - old forest and veld. Here lives a lot of different animals: monkeys-vervets, zebras, mongooses, otters, antelopes, bentboks and so on. Also in the reserve you can see more than 175 species of birds.