Plettenberg Bay is one of the exquisite seaside towns of the Garden Route. It is vibey, cute, luxurious, and breath-takingly beautiful all at once. And, it is home to Robberg 5 Beach, which was awarded Blue Flag status. This status means that it fulfils a number of criteria that make it a superior beach on all fronts – beauty, cleanness, facilities, amenities, and educational value.
Robberg 5 is Plett’s signature beach, stretching four kilometres from the Beacon Isle hotel to the magnificent Robberg Peninsula. This sandy stretch is great for long walks or jogs, playing beach games, or sun-bathing. The waters here are also popular for surfing, hydrofoiling, stand-up paddling, snorkelling and SCUBA diving. Seals and dolphins can often be seen playing in the waters and surfing the waves. Between July and December, whales pass this part of the South African coastline and promise entertaining antics for their human spectators. Very occasionally, a great white shark makes its appearance (to the delight of the SCUBA divers). At these times, swimmers are called out of the water, but the mammoth grace of these animals is always spectacular to see. Once they have passed, swimmers can safely enter the water again.
There are restaurants and cocktail bars just a short walk from the white sands and blue waters, as well as a number of shops to explore. There is ample parking along the beach, which includes bays for physically disabled visitors. There are ablutions for visitors too. Lifeguards are on duty full-time between 1 November and 31 April, which is the peak season.
The Robberg Peninsula looms over the beach and is an awesome rocky hub of adventure for visitors that have energy to burn. There are a few walking and hiking routes from which to choose, ranging from short and easy routes for the whole family to more technical ones that are best left to fitter adults. From the trails, great white sharks can sometimes be seen swimming below, and the local seal colony provides plenty of entertainment all year round.
Plettenberg Bay is about three hours from Port Elizabeth (to the east), and six hours from Cape Town (to the west).