Nahoon Point

In 1964 a schoolboy found a set of hominin footprints preserved in aeolianite - cemented dune sand - on the rocks at Nahoon, and dating has put them at roughly 124,000 years old, which made them at the time among the oldest known footprints of anatomically modern humans anywhere. The original slab was removed for conservation and is held in the East London Museum; a cast and interpretation are at the Nahoon Point reserve centre. The same museum holds the coelacanth caught off this coast in 1938, the specimen that overturned the belief that the fish had been extinct for millions of years. The point itself is a working surf break, one of the better ones on this coast, with a reef and a beach either side, and the reserve protects a stretch of dune and coastal bush behind it.

What you actually see

• The 124,000-year footprints - found in cemented dune rock by a schoolboy in 1964.
• The cast and centre - interpretation at the point, with the original slab in the museum.
• The coelacanth link - the same museum holds the 1938 fish that was thought extinct.
• The surf break - a reef point that is among the best on this coast.

When to go

All year. Two hours. Check the centre's opening hours before going.

Honest expectations

The original footprint slab is not here - it is in the East London Museum. The interpretive centre has had funding gaps and irregular hours. The rocks are slippery and the surf is strong. Ordinary city precautions apply.

Nearby

East London Museum holds the original slab and the coelacanth; the beachfront is south.