4 hours in Port Elizabeth

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Hobie Beach

You can’t get this close to the sea without digging your toes in little beach sand. Hobie Beach is a popular hangout for locals who enjoy swimming, sunbathing and body surfing. You can walk down Shark Rock Pier and the Boardwalk, grab a bite to eat and soak up the sun.

 The Wreck of the Sacramento

The Portuguese warship the Sacramento ran aground off the coast of Port Elizabeth in 1647, shipwrecking 72 surviving passengers who were making their way to Mozambique and sinking 60 cannons. The wreck was salvaged in 1977 and many of the cannons were retrieved, including one that was completely buried beneath the sea bed and came out in perfect condition.

Visit one of the ships cannons, which points in the general direction of the wreck, for free, or you can hire a guide to tell you the whole story of the Sacramento.

Fushin Street Bar

If you’re a lover of Eastern cuisine, you have to stop by Fushin on Stanley Street. The restaurant is well-loved for its selection of exotic dishes such as Norwegian Salmon, Australian Eel, Soft Shell Crab and Peruvian Scallops or Alaskan Snow Crab, to name a few. The Fushin street bar is a fairly new addition to P.E. – a laid-back sushi and tapas spot in Sunridge Village.

Both restaurants are open from 12h00 to 21h00 daily.

fushin.co.za

Dockside Brewery

Craft beer enthusiasts will appreciate this micro-brewery in the Dungeon at The Grand Hotel (entrance on Whites road). The largest of its kind in the Eastern Cape, Dockside’s single brewer makes 34 different artisan beers which include conventional beers as well as beers with unusual ingredients. Tours cost R75 and take place daily at 15h00. Alternatively make a booking to experience extraordinary beers and beer cocktails.

The brewery is open from 10h00 to 17h00 from Monday to Friday.

docksidebrewery.co.za

South End Museum

Before the Group Areas Act of 1950, PE’s South End was home to a diverse population, including Xhosa, English, Afrikaans, Malay, Greek, Portuguese and Chinese residents, who lived in harmony and prosperity. The people were forced out of the area and much of the architecture was demolished by the apartheid government. You can catch a glimpse of the past at the South End Museum. You can also take a guided tour with a former resident, who will show you the suburb and give you a first-hand account of life here.

The museum is free to visit and is open daily from 09h00 to 16h00.

No 7 Castle Hill

Settlers in Port Elizabeth lived in cottages just like No 7 Castle Hill, which was completed in 1825.One of the oldest surviving cottages, with Yellowwood floors and slate roof, it was opened as a museum in 1965. The interior is a time capsule, preserving the domestic life of an English middle class family in mid-19th Century. The doll’s house, lace displays and kitchen are particularly interesting.

The cottage is open 10h00 and 16h30 from Monday to Friday, but closed over the weekend. It is closed between 13h00 and 14h00 daily.