Plettenberg Bay

Province

Plettenberg Bay ( English) or Plettenbergbaai ( Afrikaans ) is a city on the Indian Ocean in the town of Bitou in the District Eden, Western Cape Province in South Africa. It is a popular tourist destination and is known for its picturesque scenery. From its Portuguese discoverers she was named Bahia Formosa ( " beautiful bay "); the place served as a relay station for ships to the Dutch East Indies (today's Indonesia), and later as a whaling station ( until 1920 ). 2011, it had 31 804 inhabitants.

It got its current name after Baron Joachim van Plettenberg (1739-1793), who was governor from 1774 to 1785 the Dutch Cape Colony. He built in Plettenberg Bay in 1778 a Demarkationsstein with the coat of arms of the Dutch East India Company, who was wearing his name.

Plettenberg Bay is situated on the scenic Garden Route 210 km from Port Elizabeth and about 600 km from Cape Town. To the west lies the Robberg Peninsula, a nature reserve which is accessible by hiking trails. It is home to a large seal colony. Before Robberg Beach you can watch seals playing and hunting in the surf.

Plettenberg Bay is home to the mouth of the Keurbooms River 's one of the largest breeding colonies of gulls on the South African coast.

Whales are a common sight in the bay during the mating season between July and December. Dolphins are also commonly seen.