Jeffreys Bay, South Africa is a surfer’s dream on the Eastern Cape. What used to be a hippie fishing town is now becoming one of South Africa’s fastest expanding urban areas. People visit to find the waves and surf of Jeffreys Bay and continue to come back for everything else it has to offer.
We have spent over 3 months in South Africa. If you would rather listen to the podcast on our experiences in South Africa listen to Podcast 4: South Africa: A Guys’ Trip Heaven (Couples Welcome too).
Jeffreys Bay
Beaches
The Jeffreys Bay area, aka “JBay” area, is renowned for its gorgeous beaches and its plethora of seashells. The white sandy beaches themselves provide endless, prime sunbathing real estate while the green-blue, clear, salty waters provide championship waves for surfers from all over the world.
I could listen to these waves all day:
Kitchen Windows Beach Restaurant
This restaurant was suggested to us by some locals we met along the way. The views are incredible. You can dine indoors or outside. If you choose to eat outdoors, you are seated at picnic tables in a grassy area that overlooks the ocean. There are table umbrellas in case you need a break from the direct sunlight.
The food is delicious and the restaurant’s concept is “farm to table”. Everything is fresh, locally grown, and made to order. The food does not contain hormones, antibiotics, or additives and organically grown foods are used when possible. We loved the view, the food and the service so much we ate lunch and dinner in the same day. We will definitely be back.
Travel Tip: You might go on late night walks on the beach or around town. You may even have a late night visitor (lizard or something bigger) that you want to get a quick look at without getting out of bed. We always keep a high powered handheld flashlight next to our bed and take it with us if we think we will be walking around after the sun goes down. It has been extremely useful several times when approached by stray dogs. The one that we have has a military-style grip and super bright light to back of potential trouble as well. Find this and other tips on our Travel Tools page.
Wavecrest Surf School
“When in Doubt Paddle Out!” I have a newfound appreciation for the sport of surfing after having attempted to surf for 2 hours. Simply put, surfing is hard. Surfing requires patience, endurance, and athletic ability. 
I also learned that sand is not soft, small waves can still toss you really really far, and salt water burns; it burns your eyes, up your nose, down your throat, and in your new fresh cuts.
Even though I had acquired a couple of new bruises and scrapes from surfing, I had so much fun and was able to stand up and catch a couple waves. The instructor was very enthusiastic and gave step-by-step instructions both in and out of the water.
The lessons last approximately 2 hours and you learn the basics; safety, how to catch a wave, balance, and how to stand up. The lessons include wetsuit and board rental. Total cost= 300R ($22 USD).
A local stud surfing:
Traveled March 2016
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