Coffee Bay Reefs

Mbashe River Mouth

Port St Johns Sardine Run

Shark Rock

The Wild Coast offers traditional Xhosa cuisine and hearty South African fare rather than sophisticated dining. Port St Johns has casual restaurants and pubs serving fresh line fish and traditional braai. Coffee Bay's backpacker lodges offer communal dining with a social atmosphere. The region's isolation means dining is simple but honest, with fresh seafood caught daily by local fishermen and traditional umngqusho (samp and beans) readily available.

Port St Johns Hotel

Coffee Bay Backpackers

Mbotyi River Lodge

Wild Coast Tented Lodge

The Wild Coast is South Africa's most remote and adrenaline-charged diving destination, serving as the epicentre of the annual Sardine Run from June to July. Port St Johns is the gateway to extraordinary pelagic encounters where millions of sardines attract oceanic blacktips, tiger sharks, bull sharks, schooling hammerheads, dolphins, and whales in spectacular feeding frenzies. Beyond the Sardine Run, the region offers untouched rocky reefs at Coffee Bay with drift diving through pristine marine environments, baited shark dives at Shark Rock with large pelagics, and seasonal sardine madness at Mbashe River mouth. The Wild Coast's combination of genuine expedition-style diving, minimal tourism infrastructure, and raw natural beauty creates an authentic adventure diving experience unlike anywhere else in South Africa. This is diving at its most elemental – strong currents, big predators, remote locations, and extraordinary marine spectacles.

Wild Coast – Port St. Johns & Coffee Bay

Fly to Port Elizabeth (PLZ) and drive 4-5 hours north, or fly to Mthatha Airport (UTT) and drive 1-2 hours to the coast. Most dive operators provide transfers from airports.

Dive Sites in Wild Coast – Port St. Johns & Coffee Bay

Coffee Bay Reefs

Mbashe River Mouth

Port St Johns Sardine Run

Shark Rock