Mossel Bay is small enough to drive across in ten minutes and varied enough that where you stay shapes your days. Having hosted guests here for years and sat on the tourism board, this is how I explain the town to first-timers.
The Point
The peninsula below the lighthouse: rock pools, the tidal pool, surf, restaurants and the zipline. Lively, walkable and windier than the rest of town. Best for a beach-and-cafe holiday if you do not mind the buzz.
Santos and the harbour
The Blue Flag town beach, the harbour with its fishing boats and restaurants, and the Dias Museum. Central, sheltered and good with children.
Linkside
The quiet, leafy suburb on the rise above the harbour where Villa Palmera sits. Edwardian stone villas, palm trees, a five-minute drive to everything and a view of the bay from the top of the street. Best for people who want calm at night and the town in the day, for remote workers and for anyone travelling with a dog.
Diaz Beach and Diaz Strand
A long beach running west of the museum, with holiday flats and the big Diaz hotel. Good for long walks and dog beaches; a little way from the town centre.
Hartenbos
North across the river: a family resort town with a wide beach and holiday chalets. Busy in December, quiet otherwise.
Pinnacle Point and Dana Bay
Golf estate living on the cliffs west of town, near the human-origins caves and the end of the St Blaize Trail. Beautiful, but you will drive for everything.
So where should you stay?
If you want a real house in a real neighbourhood, with a garden, a pool, solar power and a host who knows the town, come to Linkside. See our villa and cottages.
