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Major city · South Africa

Morgan's Bay

Go for 2 nights if you have a car and want a quiet beach between East London and the Wild Coast; skip it without a car — no buses or taxis serve the village.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Morgan's Bay is a small seaside village on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast, about 85 km east of East London, set between dolerite cliffs and a mile-long beach beside the Cape Morgan Nature Reserve. It is a self-drive, self-catering stop: families camp and rent houses here for a week, and there is no public transport in the village. Two nights covers the cliffs, the lagoon and the beach; one night is enough if you are only breaking the drive.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
ZAR
Best months
Oct–Apr for warm beach weather; Dec–Jan is peak family season
avoid Jun–Aug (cooler and quieter, but still mild by day)
Airport
ELS
Nights
2
Rules in force · 8Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
  • Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
  • South Africa ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport with the Department of Home Affairs or a South African mission before booking; exemptions depend on nationality, and the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is optional for most visa-exempt visitors in 2026.
  • South Africa ↗Travelling with children: accompanied foreign children no longer need a birth certificate, but unaccompanied minors, South African children and some passports that omit parents' names still do; check with Home Affairs and your airline before you fly.
  • South Africa ↗Driving is on the left. If your licence is not in English or has no photo, get an International Driving Permit before you travel; rental companies also check it.
  • South Africa ↗National park gates open and close at fixed times; you must be inside your camp before the gate closes, and speed limits in parks are enforced.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Morgan's Bay112 ▾
  • From a mobile112

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

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

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

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

  • Coffee2026 estimateR25–45
  • Beerdraught or bottle2026 estimateR30–55
  • Budget bedCampsite or caravan site, a night, per personR 100
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per roomR 900
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per roomR 1,400

A day, not counting the bed: Budget R 500 · Mid R 1,000 · High R 2,000

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 →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

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.

Morgan's Bay CliffsCape Morgan Nature ReserveMile-long swimming beach and lagoonCape Morgan LighthouseHorse trails along the coast
Airports
ELS East London Airport (About 85 km (53 mi) by road; no public transport to Morgan's Bay, so arrange a car.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  2. Feb

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  3. Mar

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  5. May

    not flagged

    23°C (73°F)

  6. Jun

    Avoid

    22°C (72°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    22°C (72°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    22°C (72°F)

  9. Sep

    not flagged

    23°C (73°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  11. Nov

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  12. Dec

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

Best: Oct–Apr. Avoid: Jun–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (27°C (81°F)), coolest Jun (11°C (52°F) low), wettest Jan (9 rain days), driest Jun (4). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Morgan's 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

27°C (81°F)

19°C (66°F)

9 rd

Feb

27°C (81°F)

19°C (66°F)

9 rd

Mar

26°C (79°F)

18°C (64°F)

9 rd

Apr

25°C (77°F)

16°C (61°F)

7 rd

May

23°C (73°F)

13°C (55°F)

5 rd

Jun

22°C (72°F)

11°C (52°F)

4 rd

Jul

22°C (72°F)

11°C (52°F)

4 rd

Aug

22°C (72°F)

12°C (54°F)

5 rd

Sep

23°C (73°F)

13°C (55°F)

6 rd

Oct

24°C (75°F)

15°C (59°F)

8 rd

Nov

25°C (77°F)

17°C (63°F)

9 rd

Dec

27°C (81°F)

18°C (64°F)

9 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

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

Getting around

On foot or by car. There are no buses or taxis in Morgan's Bay, so a self-drive car is effectively required. The village is small enough to walk between the beach, lagoon and shop.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Double Mouth Nature Reserve

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Drive past the cliffs, about 10–15 min

Two rivers meet in an estuary behind forested dunes; Bead Beach nearby is the site of a 16th-century Portuguese wreck.

Kei Mouth

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Drive west along the R349

Kei River mouth and the pont crossing into the Wild Coast.

East Londoncaution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Drive the N2 and R349, about 85 km (53 mi)

Use it for supplies, banks and the airport, not as a sightseeing day.

Coffee Bay

overnight

Door to door: Check the route and drive time before setting out

Drive north-east through the former Transkei

Too far for a return day; sleep over and continue up the Wild Coast.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Beach Road and the seafront

Walk to the beach, lagoon and hotel; most self-catering houses and the hotel are here.

Tanglewood Drive and the hillside

Houses on the hill with lagoon and sea views; 5–15 min walk down to the beach.

Link Road and Yellowwood Forest

Campsite and caravan park above the lagoon; sheltered, shady, family-friendly.

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

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
R500–900 excl. bed (2026 estimate)
Mid
R900–1,600 excl. bed (2026 estimate)
High
R1,600+ excl. bed (2026 estimate)

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 2 nights × R 900R 1,800
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × R 1,000R 4,000
Car hire, one day, small car1 × R 600R 600
Fuel, East London return (about 170 km)1 × R 350R 350
WiFi voucher, 10 hours2 × R 140R 280
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeR 703
Trip total≈ R 1,933 per person per day, bed includedR 7,733≈ US$450

2026 estimate in rand; fuel and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee2026 estimateR25–45
Beer, draught or bottle2026 estimateR30–55
Seafood or steak main2026 estimateR150–280
WiFi voucher, 1 hour / 10 hoursR25 / R140
Campsite, per site plus per personFrom R85 per site plus R10 pp

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet village with low street crime; the real risks are the sea (rip currents, no lifeguards outside the festive season), the cliff edges and the long, unlit drive in. Keep valuables out of sight and don't swim alone.
  • No buses or taxis in the village: without a car you are stuck.
  • The beach is lifeguard-patrolled only in the festive season — check before swimming.
  • The nearest full shops, banks and the airport are in East London, about 45 min away.
  • Book self-catering houses well ahead for December–January; many require minimum stays.

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.

Morgan's BayMorgan's Bay

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Yisa kule dilesi, ncedaTo this address, please

Emergency

  • From a mobile112

Embassy

No embassies in Morgan's Bay; consulates and embassies are in Cape Town, Pretoria or Johannesburg — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • East London → Morgan's Bay, self-drive: about 85 km (53 mi), 1.5 h
  • WiFi voucher, 10 hours: about R140
  • Campsite, per site: from about R85 plus R10 pp

Say or show

  • Molo — Hello (MOH-loh)
  • Enkosi — Thank you (en-KOH-see)
  • Yimalini? — How much is it? (yee-mah-LEE-nee)
  • Liphi ulwandle? — Where is the beach? (LEE-pee ool-WAHN-dleh)
  • Nceda — Help (n-KEH-dah)
  • Sala kakuhle — Goodbye (SAH-lah kah-KOO-hleh)

Carry cash: not every small shop or stall takes cards.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

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 Morgan's 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 for warm beach weather; Dec–Jan is peak family season · avoid Jun–Aug (cooler and quieter, but still mild by day) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 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 ELS: car hire, drive time and a late-arrival fallback.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Beach Road, the lagoon, the cliffs and the campsite.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (cliffs, lagoon, lighthouse, reserve) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Festive-season and hostile-weather fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to South Africa

Sources