Driving in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 28/09/2007 11:07:08
• In: South Africa Car Hire

Port Elizabeth is located about 770km to the east of Cape Town, in the Eastern Cape Province. PE, as the locals call it, was founded as a port town in 1820. The town's strategic location enabled it to expand quickly. Today the city enjoys a booming economy due to real estate development and tourism.

Popular attractions in Port Elizabeth include the 5km Donkin Heritage Trail, which you can stroll around at your leisure and the Donkin Reserve which has a light house (now home of the city's Tourist Information Office), a small pyramid and a waterfront. The reserve was dedicated to Elizabeth, the wife of Rufane Shaw Donkin, after whom the town was named. On this trail you can also visit the Fort Frederick and the Horse Memorial (in honour of all the horses that died during the Boer War).

The new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is currently under construction as well as a renovation of the entire waterfront area. There's also the Coega Industrial Development Zone - 110 km² of land located nearby. This will be a new and modern seaport to complement the facilities of Port Elizabeth.

What to see in the Port Elizabeth area?

Port Elizabeth has it all; from the best beaches such as Humewood and Wells which have both been awarded Blue Flag status. But if you're in South Africa for more than just the sun and magnificent sandy beaches then perhaps you might like to go on safari! The Kragga Kamma Game Park is located about 15 minutes, by car, from Port Elizabeth. Another popular tourist attraction is the Addo Elephant National Park.

The Addo Elephant National Park is one of the largest in the country and is located just 70km north of PE. Since there is no public transport to this area you can take an organised tour or drive there yourself in your hire car. This is probably the best idea as you can go at your own pace.  The park is home to many of Africa’s most famous animals such as elephants, black rhinos, cape buffalo, leopards, ostriches, different types of antelopes and warthogs. In the marine reserve you will find species such as dolphins, whales and penguins.

If you're travelling from the northern hemisphere then a trip to South Africa may be the only time you'll see a different night sky, so why not take a trip out to The Peoples Observatory in Newton Park and take a look at the southern stars?

The Maitland Nature Reserve is some 30km west of PE and it's 127 hectares of diverse flora and fauna that are unique to this part of Africa. The park has a number of nature trails that provide you with an excellent opportunity to explore the dense forest. These include the Sir Peregrine Maitland Nature Trail (3km self guided), the Igolomi Trial (4km) and the De Stades Nature Trail which is a 9km walk that offers spectacular views of Saint Francis Bay (this bay is adjacent to Algoa Bay to the east) and the Maitland Dune Mountain which is popular for sand surfing.

If you'd rather some ‘real’ surfing then you can visit Jeffrey’s Bay (aka J-Bay) which it the most popular destination for surfing. The white sandy beaches and the ocean itself can get up to 23°C during the summer!

Why not hire a car?

As you can tell, there is much to see and do in the surrounding areas of Port Elizabeth, the thing is though that the city’s airport isn’t used for international flights so you'll have to fly to Cape Town or Johannesburg (although Cape Town is nearer) and then make you own way to Port Elizabeth. The trains and buses often take the most direct routes around the country and you may end up missing out on some spectacular scenery. So why not hire a car and if you've landed in Cape Town you can take the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth which is 770km away to the east. Alternatively you can use public transport to get to PE and get your car when you get there (booked on our Car Rental Port Elizabeth page). 

The Garden Route is a very scenic route that lies between Port Elizabeth and Mossel Bay. Other towns along the way include Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Nature's Valley as well as a few others. Most of the route is made up of a coast road with the Indian Ocean on one side and the Little Karoo Desert on the other side. As you pass Storms River you can drop into Tsitsikamma National Park and take a look around, it also gives you an opportunity to go whale spotting.

Some things to remember about driving in South Africa, being a former colony, the people drive on the left, but all the road signs are in metric and petrol/diesel is sold by the litre.
Many garages, however, may not accept payment by credit card so it's recommended to invest in a garage card – these are sold by the South African banks and are handy if you don’t want to carry cash around. The garages often have ATMs and are usually open 24 hours.

Most of the highways between the cities are excellent which include the N1 (Cape Town to Johannesburg), the N2 (Cape Town to Durban, passing through the Garden Route and Port Elizabeth) and the N3 (Durban to Johannesburg). These roads are tolled and have emergency phones along their length.

Avoid driving at night if you can. Ignoring roundabouts and traffic lights is common during the quieter times of traffic.

Have you visited Port Elizabeth before? Are you planning to visit the area? Drop us a line in the comment box below and let us know if you've any tips for visiting the region or if you've any questions about car hire in Port Elizabeth.