Activities and attractions in Morgan Bay and Kei Mouth

Our flat, 1.6km long sandy beach is great for ball games like cricket, rugby and tennis. A touch rugby and cricket tournament is held once a year between Christmas and New Year. The dunes are good for sandboarding and our beach is also ideal for jogging and walking. Other activities include swimming, fishing, kite flying, body boarding, sand castle building, horse riding and beachcombing.

Kei Mouth has several small sandy beaches dotted along the shoreline. The best beach for swimming, is the 300m long beach at the mouth of the Cwili river. Swimming in the mouth of the Great Kei river is not recommended, due to the strong river currents.

This pristine coastal nature reserve boasts one of SA's most picturesque campsites and lies only 4km away from Morgan Bay. Here two rivers meet in a pristine estuary, which carves a single course through forested dunes to the sea. Bead Beach (Treasure Beach) is the site of a 17th Century Portuguese shipwreck, where Carnelian Beads, Money Cowries and shards of broken Ming Porcelain can be found.

Pack your camera and go for a hike over the spectacular cliffs. These impressive slabs of dolerite, which drop some 50 metres into the pounding surf, are ideal vantage points for watching the sunrise or enjoying a sundowner with friends. If you're lucky, you may even see the dolphins frolicking in the waves which crash against the rocks below.

One of the characteristic features of the Wild Coast, is cattle on the beaches. Even though there is no grass or drinking water, they still love coming down to the beach to sleep, relax and chew the cud. There are a couple of theories as to why they do this; Some say it’s to rid themselves of ticks, while others claim they are after salt. Perhaps it's simpler than that... maybe they just enjoy it as much as we do.

Tel: 083 2550291

Enjoy a thrilling day out, abseiling and rock climbing on the majestic Morgan Bay cliffs, with Morgan Bay Adventures. Alternatively, if shooting your friends and colleagues is more your thing, then they have paintballing available for the brave.

WhatsApp: 082 5670972

Wild Coast Horse Riding Adventures offer day rides in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay, as well as multi-day stage rides along the Wild Coast. Meander from surf to savanna, exploring hidden coves and beaches, while experiencing the essence of rural Africa on horseback. Visit their website for more info, and to book your ride online.

Tel: 063 9431482

Let experienced local mountain bike rider, Siyabulela Jack, take you on a guided tour of the area and experience the beauty and culture of the Eastern Cape like never before. Routes include: Double Mouth Nature Reserve, Umthombe Kei, Seagulls and Trennerys, Gxara Falls and numerous Xhosa villages, or speak to Siya and choose your own adventure! All skill levels catered for.

The southern Wild Coast offers a great variety of desirable species in some spectacular fishing locations. If you need advice about where to fish, and what with, then contact a guide, like Great Kei Adventures and Wild Coast Fishing Charters, or ask our friendly locals. Deep Sea enthusiasts can launch from the Great Kei river, while fishing and bait collection licenses can be purchased at the Morgan Bay Top Shop.

Tel: 072 1498612

- Fishing and Leisure Kayaks for Hire
- Guided Kayak & Fishing Adventures
- Shuttle and Transfer Services
- Transkei and Tailor-made Packages
- Trevor’s Trail Tours
- Abseiling on the Morgan Bay Cliffs
Join us on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to our Great Kei Fishing channel on YouTube

WhatsApp: 082 5670972

Deep sea fishing charters and boat trips along the Wild Coast, launching from the Great Kei river.

Tel: 043 8411598

Yellowwood Forest is well-known for its markets. Every Saturday is Market day, its family friendly and children can play while shoppers browse. Craft Markets are held once a month and more frequently during the holidays, particularly during the festive season.

Tel: 043 8411083

The Kei Mouth Country Club has a 13-hole golf course with separate tee-boxes, that make it a comfortable 18 hole round of golf. There are also squash courts, a bar with big screen TVs, a restaurant, braai places and outdoor seating. Golf is played on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There are tournaments every couple of days during the Dec/Jan School Holidays.

The mile-long Morgan Bay beach is very popular with walkers, as are the trails along the cliffs, but Morgan Bay has so much more to offer. Take a hike to the lighthouse and neighbouring Kei Mouth, or hike South along the coastline to Bead Beach and beyond, to Marshstrand or Haga Haga. Yellowwood Forest also has a relaxing forest trail for you to enjoy.

Tel: 083 2854773

Kei Mouth is the start of the popular five day Strandloper Trail, which begins in the Cape Morgan Nature Reserve and passes through Morgan Bay, Haga Haga and the Jikeleza Route villages before finishing at Gonubie.

Tel: 078 9510425

Your friendly local guide, Quicks, offers four excellent half and full day hikes, that include township and cultural tours, nature and beach walks, abseiling and rock climbing, snake handling, canoeing and treasure hunting at Bead Beach.

Tel: 078 0648487

Have you ever been inside a Spaza Shop or a Shebeen (local Tavern)? Have you ever consulted a Traditional Healer or drunk Umqombothi (traditional beer)? Have you seen the amaXhosa in their traditional attire, listened to their music and eaten their food?

Experience a day in the life of the locals and discover all of this and more!

The shallow waters at the mouth of the Inchara river estuary are ideal for small children, while the upper reaches are great for bird watching and exploring. Canoes and SUPs are available for hire at Morgan Bay Hotel reception.

A hidden gem, especially on windy days when you’ve had your fill of the beach. Good for swimming and canoeing, its full of bass and ideal for beginners and experienced fishermen. The tower offers a scary bomb drop from a dizzy height for the brave. This serene place has exceptional birdlife and lots of beautiful drangonflies and damselflies. The surrounding grasslands are the breeding site of the rare Kentani Dwarf Chameleon.

The Great Kei River flows for 320km and once formed the southwestern border of the former-Transkei region, which can now be accessed via the 'Pont', one of only three car-transporting river ferries in South Africa.

Activities on the river include fishing, boating and canoeing. South Africa's Southern-most naturally occurring mangrove population also occurs here.

WhatsApp: 082 5670972

Enjoy 2 ½ and 4 ½ hour cruises on the Great Kei. Watch the Fish Eagles feed and see cycads growing in the wild. A bird watchers paradise! Bring your own refreshments, picnic or braai meat. Max. 12 passengers.

The Pont can carry up to two vehicles at a time and with lots of space for passengers on either side. It operates on a first-come, first-served basis and is in operation from early morning to late afternoon, 365 days a year, except when the river is in flood, or the tide too low.

There are an abundance of birding habitats in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay, ranging from the Great Kei river and Morgan Bay estuary, to back gardens, the two municipal dams, Yellowwood Forest, the beaches, Morgan Bay cliffs and coastal forest of Cape Morgan Nature Reserve. Common species include: Sunbirds, Hornbills, Bulbuls, Barbets, Weavers, Canaries, Waxbills, Crowned Cranes, Fish Eagles, Jackal Buzzards, Long Crested Eagles, Goliath Heron, Kingfishers, Plovers, Cormorants, Darters, Herons, Black Headed Orioles, Narina Trogons, Oystercatchers and much more.

Tel: 082 7690844

Approaching the turn off to Morgan Bay you will see a Corvair 880 passenger jet on the side of the road; Believed to be one of only two such aircraft in the World.

Billy Nel’s private museum houses over 650 motorcycles including a rare Yamaha GTS1000A, featuring a forkless front suspension.

Morgan Bay has a right hand point break that funnels into the bay in front of the Mitford Hotel. Winter offers the best conditions when off shore winds meet ground swells from the south.

The Morgan Bay cliffs make ideal vantage points for Dolphin and Whale watching. Dolphins are present year round, but are more common in Winter. Southern Right and Humpback Whales can be seen far out at sea from around June to November, but only venture closer to shore when calving, so bring your binoculars. Bryde's Whales and Orcas are present year round, but sightings are quite rare.

Tel: 076 7936286

This small boutique nursery in Morgan Bay specialises in Clivias, Orchids, Bromeliads, Ferns and other ornamentals. They are open by appointment only.

Tel: 076 8397736

After a visit to a specialist succulent nursery ignited an endearing obsession, Blommie's Succulents was born from a hobby which erupted with 15 plants back in 2014. Now a boutique succulent garden in Kei Mouth, the owner and passsionate succulent nurturer, Marie 'Blommie' Jacobs, sells succulents to visitors on site by appointment.

Many good times have been enjoyed by families and friends who meet every evening in Summer for sundowners on the Morgan Bay cliffs, to reflect on the day and forget their troubles. Botha's Krantz, the furthest South of the Morgan Bay cliffs, is a great spot and the view from up top is just amazing.

The Morgan Bay Bowling Green and clubhouse are situated in the Morgan Bay Caravan Park

Thurs: Tabs at 13:45 for 14:00
Sun: Tabs at 8:45 for 09:00
All welcome!

The Kei Mouth Bowling Green and clubhouse are situated in the Kei Mouth Caravan Park

Social days - Wed and Sat
Tabs at 13:45 for 14:00
All welcome!

The fully automated lighthouse was built in 1964 and is one of only 4 lighthouses along the Wild Coast. The lantern sits atop a 12-metre lattice tower and is visible for 24 sea miles.

It is a 3km walk or drive along the coastline from Kei Mouth. A path leads down from there to some good fishing spots, before carrying on to Morgan Bay.

The Hazel Jefferies Shell Museum in Kei Mouth has hundreds of varieties of shells on display. It is located at the Municipal offices near the four-way stop in the Main Road.

Opening hours:
Mon - Fri: 07:00 - 16:00
Saturdays: 09:00 - 11:00
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays