Port Elizabeth attractions are known as the treasures of the Eastern Cape. Located 750km from Cape Town, this city can be discovered travelling along the iconic Garden Route if a family road trip is what you’re after. If you’d prefer to fly into South Africa’s 5th biggest city, you’ll not be more than 15 minutes away from anywhere in the city.
Port Elizabeth has beautiful untouched beaches, Big 5 wild-life destinations, museums and memorials, cultural and historical attractions and extremely friendly locals, which is how the city earned it’s nickname, the “Friendly City”. So make sure that you take chatting to the locals into consideration when you’re planning your time exploring all that the city has to offer.
Port Elizabeth is a family-fun and great value-for-money destination.
Here is a list of 10 Port Elizabeth attractions that Muslim tourists can also enjoy:
Kwantu Private Game Reserve
Kwantu Private Game Reserve offers you and the family a Big 5 experience with 5 Star treatment. This award-winning Halaal private game reserve offers luxury accommodation as well as the option for half-day visits, which includes welcome snacks, a 2-3 hour game drive and a 3-course 100% Halaal meal. Only 95km from the city it only takes an hour’s drive to get to this Port Elizabeth attraction.
Bayworld Oceanarium
Bayworld, located in Summerstrand, is one of Port Elizabeth’s leading tourist attractions. Bayworld is a natural and cultural history museum with a Snake Park and Oceanarium. Their research and education programmes focus on marine life, reptiles, and maritime and local history.
The kids love watching the live snake feeding, crocodiles, seals and penguins. Bayworld also has a reconstructed life-size dinosaur and an actual meteorite for the kids to enjoy and learn from.
Gravity Indoor Trampoline Park
Gravity Indoor Trampoline Park offers 2000 square metres of guaranteed hours of fun! The trampoline park consists of a foam pit, basketball arena, interconnected trampolines, an Olympic trampoline, ninja course, devils slide, rope course and climbing wall to name a few. If parents would prefer to keep their shoes on and relax while the kids get their energy released, there is a café that offers refreshments, cakes and light meals. They are known for their delicious toasted Halaal steak sandwich.
The Donkin Reserve
The Donkin Reserve is a historical Port Elizabeth attraction that not only educates you on how Port Elizabeth was named but also offers you one of the best views of the city.
Sir Rufane Donkin named the city after his late wife, Lady Elizabeth Donkin. He then built the stone pyramid as a memory of his wife. This pyramid was declared a National Monument in 1938. There is a lighthouse that towers over the pyramid.
You can enjoy a formal tour of the Donkin Reserve. You’re also able to climb to the top of the lighthouse to enjoy the views of the city. There is also a 5-kilometre trail that follows in the footsteps of the 1820 Settlers on the Donkin Reserve.
The Best Halaal Restaurants
Muslim tourists will be able to find numerous Halaal restaurants in Port Elizabeth. These restaurants are known to serve a variety of cuisines. Our recommended top 6 Port Elizabeth attractions Restaurants include:
- La Fiesta – this is a family-owned and run restaurant, which has been going strong for over 30 years. It’s within walking distance from the Bayworld Oceanarium and offers delicious Halaal meals throughout the whole day and are open till late on weekends and during the holiday period.
- Gravity Café – This restaurant is a part of Gravity Trampoline Park and as we’ve mentioned already, you’ll eat the best Halaal toasted steak sandwich here.
- This is Eat – This is an unforgettable unique seafood experience. The freshest, tastiest treasures of the ocean are brought straight from the bay to your table at This is Eat. They are perfectly located at the harbour in a rustic setting amidst the seagulls and the ocean. You won’t find better seafood than this in the city.
- South Boulevard Café – If you’re looking for good affordable food accompanied by excellent service, great presentation, a lovely atmosphere and a beautiful location with views, then it’s South Boulevard Café you’re looking for. This Muslim-owned Halaal restaurant is open for all three meals and is bound to satisfy your hunger for delicious hearty food.
- Dulce Mercantile – Dulace Café offers a range of world-class coffees, healthy smoothies and a variety of delicious light Halaal meals available for breakfast and lunch.
- House of Pizza – House of Pizza is considered by the locals the best pizza in the city. Their delicious hand-crafted wood oven pizzas are a must for Muslim tourists to get the full Port Elizabeth locals experience. Their cookie pies and puddings are also out of this world so make sure that you appease your sweet tooth while you’re collecting your pizza order.
Maitland Nature Reserve
Port Elizabeth is an outdoor person’s dream holiday destination. The Maitland Nature Reserve is 250 hectare, of dense indigenous coastal forest, birdlife, an old wagon road which leads to Maitland lead mines, small animals such as bushbuck. The famous giant Maitland sand dunes are less than 2km of steep climbing. The view from the top is well worth the effort.
The reserve also offers three other nature trails:
- The Sir Peregrine Maitland Nature Trail – 3 km self-guided trail along the old wagon road.
- The De Stades Nature Trail – 9 km long trail with a glorious view of St Francis Bay and Maitland dunes.
- The Igolomi Trial – 4km walk passing through thick sections of the dense forest.
Sacramento Hiking Trail
The Sacramento is a popular 8 km round trip coastal walk through the Schoenmakerskop-Sardinia Bay Nature Reserve. The walk starts in the coastal village of Schoenmakerskop. Enjoy attractive seascapes, landscapes, dune vegetation and wild flowers.
At Schoenmakerskop, a bronze cannon points towards the wreck site of the Portuguese galleon, Sacramento, which foundered on 30 June 1647.
The route continues past the Sacramento monument called Cannon Bay where the ruins of a mill can be seen.
You may want to wear your sneakers or hiking shoes for this walk. If you’re a trail runner then you may want to pack your trail running shoes for this fast but beautiful little 8km run.
Sardinia Bay Beach
Port Elizabeth has many beautiful beaches but Sardinia Bay Beach is the local’s favourite. The sunset picnics are absolutely stunning with a view of the ocean from the top of the sand dune, which you have to go up in order to get to the beach. This is also a popular walking beach as its coastline is pristine. You can also access the 8km Sacramento Hiking Trail from here.
Ice-skating Rink Bay West Mall
Cool down after a hot day on the beach at the Baywest Ice Rink or keep the kids busy while you spend some time shopping in the popular Port Elizabeth attraction – Bay West Mall.
Mosques
There are a number of mosques in Port Elizabeth. Many of these mosques have prayer facilities for women as well;
- Masjid an-Nur
- Masjid Taqwa
- Musjid Awatif (Darul Waqaf Islamic Trust)
- Masjid Huda
- Masjid Mansoor
- Masjid Azhar
- Masjid Fuqara
- Masjid Shaakireen
- Masjid Abu Bakr
- New Brighton Masjid
- Musjidun Nabawi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam
- Masjidus Salaam
- Masjid ul-Akbar
- Masjid Saabireen
- Masjid Saaliheen
- Masjid Aziz
- Masjid ul-Ghuraba.
All of the Port Elizabeth attractions we have mentioned can be completed between 4 and 5 days for the full Port Elizabeth experience. There are not that many Halaal accommodation establishments in Port Elizabeth so be sure you book your room in Albeit in advance to avoid disappointment.