Keurboomstrand · Plettenberg Bay · Garden Route
Keurboomstrand is quieter and more intimate than central Plettenberg Bay, but you're only 15 - 20 minutes from town, restaurants, and all the major Garden Route attractions. The beach is a 15-minute walk. Below are the highlights - most are within an easy day-trip of Gulls' Way.
Keurboomstrand beach, known locally as The Waves, is a 15-minute walk from Gulls' Way - a long, unspoilt stretch of white sand backed by indigenous fynbos. The Keurbooms River estuary is a highlight in its own right: canoe or paddleboard upstream through a forest-lined gorge, swim in the calm lagoon, or simply watch the birdlife from the bank. Boat trips up the river are available in season.
Singing Kettle Beach, known locally as Kettle Beach, is the quieter end of the same stretch - wide, white and usually near empty even in season. Walk east along the sand at low tide and you'll reach Arch Rock, a natural stone arch where the tradition is to try and throw a pebble clean through it. Nobody manages it first time. It's also known as Cathedral Rock - an arched formation that looks like a cathedral portal and rose window. It's also one of the best places along this coast to watch for southern right whales in season, without getting on a boat.
Enrico Ristorante sits right on the beach at Keurboomstrand, a walk along the sand from Gulls' Way rather than a drive. It's been there for years and is the reason a lot of people know Keurbooms at all - Italian food, fresh seafood, and a terrace looking straight out over the bay towards Plett. Go early for a sundowner, or expect to wait for a table in season. Worth the wait either way.
296 Main Street, Keurboomstrand. Open Tuesday to Sunday from midday. Closed Mondays.
Plettenberg Bay is one of South Africa's premier whale-watching destinations. Southern right whales visit the bay from June to November to calve and nurse their young - you can often spot them from the beach, the Robberg headland, or right from the Gulls' Way garden, where binoculars are provided. Humpback whales pass through on migration from May to December. Bottlenose and common dolphins are year-round residents. Several operators offer boat-based whale watching in season.
One of the Garden Route's great walks, the Robberg Peninsula juts 4 km into the ocean and is home to a large Cape fur seal colony. The circular trail (around 9 km, 3 - 4 hours) delivers dramatic sea-cliff views and frequent dolphin and whale sightings. Shorter loops are available for families. Book in advance in peak season. About 20 minutes' drive from Gulls' Way.
At 216 metres above the Bloukrans River gorge, Bloukrans holds the record for the world's highest commercial bungee jump. Even if jumping isn't on the agenda, the bridge walk along the arch offers vertiginous views. About 40 minutes' drive east of Gulls' Way, on the way to Tsitsikamma.
Three world-class wildlife sanctuaries sit side by side, about 15 minutes from Gulls' Way. Monkeyland is a free-roaming multi-species primate sanctuary in ancient forest. Birds of Eden is the world's largest free-flight bird aviary. Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary offers close-up encounters with big cats and other predators in a responsible, rescue-focused environment.
The Garden Route is South Africa's premier golf destination. Goose Valley Golf Club sits right on the edge of the Keurbooms Lagoon with mountain and lagoon views from nearly every hole. Plettenberg Bay Country Club offers a more traditional layout in a stunning coastal setting. Both courses welcome visiting golfers and are within easy reach of Gulls' Way.
A farmstall on the N2 about ten minutes' drive west, and the closest good stop for bread, pies, coffee and the kind of basics you forget to pack. Not a full grocery shop - for that you'll want Plett - but excellent for filling gaps, and the baking is very good.
About an hour's drive east, Tsitsikamma is a dramatic stretch of coast where ancient yellowwood forest meets the Indian Ocean. The Storms River Mouth has boardwalk trails, suspension bridges over the river gorge, and snorkelling in the marine reserve. The Otter Trail - one of South Africa's most celebrated multi-day hikes - starts here. Day visitors are very welcome.
Central Plettenberg Bay is just 15 - 20 minutes by car. The town centre has excellent restaurants (seafood is a highlight), wine bars, boutique shops, and the famous Plett Main Beach and Lookout Beach. For families, the lagoon at the Keurbooms River mouth is wonderful for swimming and paddling - a few minutes from the cottage, and calmer than the open beach.
A cluster of small vineyards and tasting rooms just inland, about fifteen minutes away. Easy-going, family-run and far quieter than the better-known Cape winelands.
A local market between Plett and Knysna, good for pottery, woodwork and picking up something made nearby rather than imported.
Gulls' Way puts you 15 minutes from the beach and within easy reach of everything the Garden Route has to offer.