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Meridiela.

Morgan Bay

A village under dolerite sea cliffs that drop straight into the surf, walked along the top for the whole view.

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WhereEastern Cape
Nearest cityKei Mouth about 10 km; East London about 70 km
Best seasonOctober to April
Time to allowTwo days
Getting thereOff the N2 via Komga; tar road to the village
EntryFree

Morgan Bay sits at the foot of a line of dolerite cliffs that rise about sixty metres straight out of the sea south of the Kei River, and the cliff-top walk is the reason to come: a path runs along the edge with the Indian Ocean below on one side and green farmland on the other, past blowholes and gullies where the swell comes in hard. Below the cliffs a wide beach runs to a lagoon at the Inchara River. The village is small, built around a hotel that has been there since the 1940s, and it is one of the last places reachable on tar before the Wild Coast proper begins across the Kei at Kei Mouth, where a pont ferries cars over. Rock climbing on the cliffs is established, dolphins pass close inshore, and whales are seen in winter and spring.

What you actually see

  • The dolerite cliffs - about sixty metres rising straight out of the sea.
  • The cliff-top walk - a path along the edge past blowholes and gullies.
  • The lagoon beach - wide sand running to the Inchara River mouth.
  • The Kei pont - the ferry across the river into the Wild Coast proper nearby.

When to go

October to April. Two days. Whales pass between June and November.

Honest expectations

The cliff path is unfenced with a straight drop - not for small children in wind. Village facilities are minimal and the nearest real shops are in Komga or East London. The sea has rips. Holiday periods book out the few places to stay.

Nearby

Kei Mouth and the pont are north; Chintsa is down the coast.

What to pack for Morgan Bay

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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