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Major city · South Africa

Jeffreys BayJeffreysbaai

Give J-Bay 2 nights if you surf or want beach time, 1 night as a Garden Route stop; skip it if you don't care about waves or shells.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
ZAR
Best months
Oct–Apr (warm, dry, best surf); May–Sep for fewer crowds
avoid Dec–Jan (peak holiday crowds and higher prices); Jun–Aug can be wet and windy
Airport
PLZ
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Jeffreys Bay is a surf town on the Eastern Cape's Sunshine Coast, 75 km west of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) on the N2. It is known for Supertubes, one of the world's best right-hand point breaks, long white beaches and shell collecting. Two nights suits surfers and beach-goers; one night is enough for a road-trip pause. It is a safe, small town where most of what you need sits along Da Gama Road, but you need a car or a shuttle to reach the beaches and the airport.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Jeffreys Bay, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeR25–45
  • Sit-down mealRestaurant main courseR120–250
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast pieR25–40
  • Beerdraught / bottle at a barR30–50
  • Taxi, about 5 kmMinibus taxi J-Bay to Port ElizabethAbout R50 (check)
  • Budget bedHostel or backpacker bed, a night, per personR 300
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or B&B double room, a night, per roomR 1,400 (≈ US$80)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or B&B double room, a night, per roomR 2,800 (≈ US$160)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget R 700 · Mid R 1,400 (≈ US$80) · High R 2,600 (≈ US$150)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Supertubes surf breakLong white beachesShell collecting and the Shell MuseumSurf-brand factory outlets
Airports
PLZ Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) International (About 75 km; domestic flights only, with connections via Johannesburg or Cape Town. Shuttle or rental car to J-Bay, roughly 1 h.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Jeffreys Bay: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

26°C

18°C

6 rd

Feb

26°C

18°C

7 rd

Mar

25°C

17°C

7 rd

Apr

23°C

15°C

7 rd

May

22°C

13°C

6 rd

Jun

20°C

11°C

6 rd

Jul

20°C

10°C

6 rd

Aug

20°C

11°C

7 rd

Sep

21°C

12°C

7 rd

Oct

22°C

14°C

8 rd

Nov

24°C

16°C

7 rd

Dec

25°C

17°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable along Da Gama Road, but beaches, Marina Martinique and Paradise Beach are 2–6 km apart, so a car, taxi or bike rental helps. J-Bay Cabs and shuttle services cover town and the Port Elizabeth airport. Minibus taxis run to Port Elizabeth from the corner of Goedehoop and St Francis Street, about 1 h.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

St Francis Bay

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

Drive the R330 or take a shuttle, about 30 km

Canal town with its own surf spots and a lighthouse; pair it with a J-Bay beach day.

Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)

go

Door to door: About 1 h

N2 west by car, or minibus taxi from Goedehoop and St Francis Street

Use it for the airport, city beaches and museums; a full day if you add Addo.

Addo Elephant National Park

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Drive via the N2 and R335, about 130 km

Malaria-free Big Five; too far for a relaxed return day, so sleep one night.

Humansdorp

caution

Door to door: About 20 min

N2 west by car, about 20 km

Practical stop for buses, banks and supermarkets rather than a sight.

Kenton-on-Sea

go

Door to door: About 1.25 h

Drive the R72 east, about 90 km

River mouth and beaches; a long but doable day east along the coast.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre / Da Gama Road

Walk to shops, restaurants and the main beach; best for one or two nights without a car.

Supertubes / Wavecrest

Closest to the surf break; a 15–20 min walk or short drive from the centre.

Marina Martinique

Canal development 2 km south; quieter, self-catering, needs a car.

Aston Bay / Paradise Beach

North of town across the lagoon; undeveloped beach, very quiet, car essential.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
R700–1,200 excl. bed
Mid
R1,200–2,200 (≈ US$70–130) excl. bed
High
R2,200 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse or B&B double room1 × 2 nights × R 1,400R 2,800
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × R 1,400R 5,600
Airport shuttle, Port Elizabeth to J-Bay, one way2 × R 450 · checkR 900
Surf lesson with board and wetsuit2 × R 300 · checkR 600
eSIM, about a week of data2 × R 250R 500
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeR 1,040
Trip total≈ R 2,860 per person per day, bed includedR 11,440≈ US$650

2026 estimate in rand; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeR25–45
Breakfast pieR25–40
Fish and chips takeawayR70–120
Restaurant main courseR120–250
Beer: draught / bottle at a barR30–50
Surf lesson with board and wetsuitAbout R300 (check)
Minibus taxi J-Bay to Port ElizabethAbout R50 (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Jeffreys Bay is a small, generally safe beach town; the real risks are rip currents at unguarded beaches, petty theft from cars parked at trailheads, and drinking too much at the beach bars. Keep valuables out of sight and swim where locals swim.
  • Swimming is safe at Dolphin Beach and Kabeljous, but do not try to swim across the Kromm River mouth between J-Bay and St Francis.
  • Dolphin Beach is an alcohol-free zone.
  • Book surf lessons and holiday-season restaurants ahead; the town fills up in December and January.
  • Rip currents can be strong at unguarded beaches: swim where locals do.

Emergency numbers

From a mobile
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Jeffreys BayJeffreysbaai

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Na hierdie adres, assebliefTo this address, please

Emergency

  • From a mobile112

Embassy

No embassies in Jeffreys Bay; consulates and embassies are in Cape Town or Pretoria. The nearest US consulate-general is in Cape Town (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Shuttle Port Elizabeth airport → J-Bay: about R450, 1 h (check)
  • Minibus taxi J-Bay → Port Elizabeth: about R50, 1 h (check)
  • Surf lesson, board and wetsuit included: about R300 (check)

Say or show

  • Hallo — Hello (hah-loh)
  • Dankie — Thank you (dun-kee)
  • Hoeveel is dit? — How much is it? (hoo-feel is dit)
  • Waar is die strand? — Where is the beach? (vaar is dee strunt)
  • Kan ek met 'n kaart betaal? — Can I pay by card? (kun ek met un kaart be-taal)
  • Help — Help (help)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Jeffreys Bay. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Apr (warm, dry, best surf); May–Sep for fewer crowds · avoid Dec–Jan (peak holiday crowds and higher prices); Jun–Aug can be wet and windy · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for PLZ: shuttle times, taxi fallback and a late-arrival rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Da Gama Road, Supertubes, Marina Martinique and Paradise Beach.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Shell Museum, Surf Museum, Noorsekloof) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Surf-season fixtures so lessons, board hire and event weeks can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to South Africa

Sources