St. Francis Bay is easy to spot from a distance. As you leave the N2 and the dusty streets of Humansdorp behind, the trademark black-and-white roofs of this popular holiday town pop out of the horizon like a giant seaside chessboard along the stunning Eastern Cape coastline.

While the town’s calm bays are a popular spot in the summer holidays, the protected beaches exist only in the shelter of the rocky points that are exposed to the full force of the Indian Ocean.

Named for the patron saint of sailors, one of the town’s main attractions is the wind-swept light house out at Seal Point, a rocky outcrop of land which has brought many a ship to grief.

At nearly 30-metres the light house, which was built in 1878 to warn ships of the treacherous reefs stretching over a kilometer out to sea, is also the tallest masonry lighthouse on the South African coastline, offering fantastic views of the surrounding coastline.

Ajubatus, a community empowerment project run by Dave Colquhoun, have been given permission by the National Ports Authority to run tours of the lighthouse, and have trained a number of guides from the local community to escort visitors up the tower. Dave and his helpers are kept busy during the high season, with over 100 visitors joining their tours which, at R12/adult and R6/child, are great value for tourists with a head for heights. A marine wildlife rescue centre (oiled penguins are a regular sight along this coastline) and coffee shop are also in the pipeline, turning what was a lonely outpost into a thriving tourist attraction.

Enjoy an 'endless summer'

The same rough seas that make this coastline treacherous for sailors are a boon for another type of seafarer though: surfers.

‘Endless Summer’ may have put nearby J-Bay on the map as SA’s surf capital, but Bruce’s Beauties — the famous right-hand break named after film-maker Bruce Brown — is actually in St. Francis. From Bruce’s to Hobie Beach, the warm Mozambique current wrapping around nearby Shark point has blessed the town with some of the best reef breaks in the country. As a number of surf websites suggest though: “Watch out for sharks and rocks”!

If the summer south-easter picks up there’s still loads for land lubbers to do, from exploring the protected canal system to strolling through the Irma Booysen flower reserve in Birkenhead Road; a section of private land that has been set aside to conserve the local flora. The ‘Two Harbours Walk’ is another popular option, hugging the coastline from Main Beach to Port St. Francis, where the large fleet of chokka (calamari) fishing boats offload their nightly catch to be exported to dinner tables across Europe.

The port is also the hopping-off point for the popular boat trips around Shark and Seal Point, as well as fishing charters that head off into the deep blue in search of yellowfin tuna and marlin.

Dave Colquhoun's Ajubatus project is revitalising the lighthouse on Seal Point
As one of the Eastern Cape’s most popular holiday towns, it’s no surprise that there’s no shortage of holiday accommodation in town. From B&Bs to self-catering cottages guesthouses there’s something on offer for every pocket, but St. Francis gets packed to the gills in the December/January summer holidays, so make sure you get your booking in early.

Seaside luxury

With only five rooms, The Sands @ St. Francis feels more like a cosy family holiday home than an up-market guesthouse, the casual exterior belying its five-star service and facilities.

Billed as an ‘African beach house’ the five rooms are decorated in a bright nautical style without being over-the-top, and all the rooms boast standard five-star mod-cons, including a jacuzzi with sea views!

Each room opens onto a grassy lawn that tumbles right down onto Main Beach, with comfy loungers on hand to sit and watch the world, and the surfers, go by. If you get bored of just lying about, The Sands offers body-boards to play in the waves, kayaks for a paddle up the Kromme River and golf clubs to borrow for a quick round on the St. Francis golf course. Keen golfers will also be glad to hear that a Jack Nicklaus-designed links course is due to open in late 2006.

The Sands is perched right above Main Beach
B&B at The Sands comes standard, but dinner and lunch are also available in the glass-fronted restaurant upstairs. The honesty bar and awesome sea views also make this a good spot for sundowners, while at dinnertime an impressive array of dishes, from Norwegian salmon to stuffed lamb, come out of the small kitchen.

Food and fine living aside, The Sands’ prime seafront location and direct beach access make it a great place to escape the hordes that descend on St. Francis each summer to enjoy the safe beaches for sandcastles, tidal pools for toddlers and some of the best surfing this side of Supertubes.