Margate, Port Shepstone, Scottburgh, Port Edward, sardines, golf, whales, dolphins, the Oribi Gorge, hibiscus flowers and golden beaches are some of the terms which people associate with this magnificent South Coast region of South Africa and the Zulu Kingdom.
Sub-tropical forests, blue lagoons, golden beaches, rocky coves, the warm Indian Ocean and sunny weather make KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast a popular year-round holiday resort for both local and international visitors. Accommodation varies from up-market hotels to camping facilities, and everything in between. Swim in the surf or just laze on the South Coast beaches, working on your suntan.
Three beaches, namely Ramsgate, Marina Beach and Lucien, have International 'Blue Flag' status.
For the golfer, the South Coast is close to golfing paradise. Named by many 'The Golf Coast', there are nine excellent 18- hole golf courses, two of which are rated amongst the top 12 in the country.
If you want to commune with nature, visit the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, which conserves plants found nowhere else in the world, or go birding - 400 bird species have been counted along this coastline. Scuba diving is a popular sport on the South Coast with excellent deep-sea diving areas at Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks.
Try surfing at the internationally acclaimed surf spots or go abseiling in the Oribi Gorge. Breathtaking is the way you would describe both the scenery and your feelings as you plunge over the edge and swing high over the deep gorge.
Every winter, there is the phenomenon of the sardine run - millions of sardines migrate up the coast, accompanied by by dolphins and other large fish and thousands of sea birds which feed on them, and people come from far and wide to scoop up buckets of this natural harvest.
The South coast - the pleasure coast
Hotels and Tours:
Destination in Focus
Eshowe offers a unique window on history as the oldest town in Zululand, with various secret places to visit and enjoy.
The sound of the breeze rushing through the Dlinza Forest in the heart of the town is the romantic explanation for the town's name. The more scientific is that it is a corruption of the isiZulu word ishongwe, meaning 'milkbush shrubs', also prominent in the area.
The town, lying on a plateau and thus protected from the subtropical humidity of surrouding areas, was proclaimed a magistracy in 1887 upon Zululand's annexation by Britain and became the capital of Zululand.
