Cape St Francis

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Cape St Francis

Cape St Francis

I have just got back from the most amazing two week holiday with my mom, dad, brother and Luke. We spent the holiday travelling up the East Coast of South Africa predominantly exploring the Wild Coast area. And that means that you can get ready for a whole lot of South African destination guides coming your way!

This trip was due to happen last year and was going to be a much longer trip to include many KZN spots. That obviously had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown where interprovincial travel was banned during the period we were meant to go. We had already paid for a few of the bookings and so when we rescheduled it this year we recreated the trip around the spots we already had bookings for. Our final itinerary was to be Cape St Francis, Bulungula, Umzumbe (KZN), Cinsta, Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve near Graaf Reinet. Unfortunately, the riots in KZN were at their worst when we were due to go to Umzumbe on the KZN south coast and so we decided against going there and chose to stay in the peaceful Wild Coast and go to Mdumbi instead. So my next few blog posts are going to be all about the lovely spots of Cape St Francis, Bulungula, Mdumbi, Cintsa and Mount Camdeboo with a final blog post, The Ultimate Guide to the Wild Coast. Stay tuned! For now let’s explore Cape St Francis!Cape St Francis

Cape St Francis

Cape St Francis is a gorgeous seaside town along the Sunshine Coast of South Africa. It is between Stormsriver and Jeffrey’s Bay and a perfect family holiday town. The greater St Francis Bay area encompasses St Francis with its canals and white houses with thatch roofs (this is where the ‘fancys’ stay), Port St Francis and Cape St Francis. Cape St Francis is a lovely laid back seaside town with a gorgeous beach and a surfer hotspot. I have been to Cape St Francis three times now and love it more and more each time.

Cape St Francis

Where to stay?

Cape St Francis Resort is a lovely little accommodation estate which boasts a variety of different options for various group sizes and budgets. If you’re looking for a more budget spot then Seals Backpackers is the best spot for you. They have two double room self-catering cottages available and one house that sleeps four. You can browse your options here. Luke and I have stayed in their double cottage twice and loved it. It is basic but ticks all the boxes. They have a communal outdoor braai and boma area. Prices start at R750 for a double per night.

Seals Backpackers Seals Backpackers

If you have a bigger budget or a bigger group then check out Cape St Francis Resort houses. They have the beach break which is 5 star luxury with ocean views, the village break which includes a variety of 4 star cottage accommodation options and the club break which includes 3 star smaller apartments. Browse all the options here. As a family of five we stayed at the Greenpepper cottage (village break) which is a 4 bedroomed place with a private plunge pool, braai area, kitchen, lounge and outdoor seating area. To book follow this link. Prices start at R1400 per night for a 6-bedroomed house.

Cape St Francis Resort Cape St Francis Resort Cape St Francis Resort Cape St Francis Resort Cape St Francis Resort

Cape St Francis Resort

Cape St Francis Resort

What to do in Cape St Francis?

Head to the beach

Cape St Francis is a laid back beach town where the best thing to do is head to the beach. If you’re a surfer then be sure to catch some waves here. If you’re staying at the resort you can walk out the back of the resort straight onto the beach. Swimming is not recommended directly in front of the resort as riptides can be strong. Rather walk towards the right hand side of the beach and swim closer to the lighthouse side.

Cape St Francis beach Cape St Francis beach

Cape St Francis beach Cape St Francis beach

Cape St Francis beach

Have lunch at Nevermind

Nevermind is a brand new stunning bakery, cafe and restaurant located at the Seal Point Lighthouse. Make sure you stop by their fresh morning bakes, delicious brekkies, lunches and dinners. Follow them on instagram for menus and opening hour updates.

Nevermind Cape St Francis

Visit the Seal Point Lighthouse

Seal Point Lighthouse is a stunning spot to check out during your stay. There are various paths and walkways that you can follow to head towards the ocean, the rocks, the lighthouse and beyond. Sunset here is a real treat!

Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse Seal Point Lighthouse

Watch the sunset from the dunes

Another great spot for golden hour is the dunes just outside the Cape St Francis Resort. Check it out for a cheeky sunset spot.

Cape St Francis

We absolutely loved our time in Cape St Francis. It’s the perfect family holiday destination where the only agenda is beach and relaxation! I could easily spend a week soaking up the sunshine here but it works just as well as a 2 night stopover on a greater roadtrip. For this trip Cape St Francis was a halfway break in the journey to quickly get us from Cape Town to the Wild Coast. Next up: Bulungula, Wild Coast.

Cape St Francis

Roadtripping around South Africa? Check out my blog post on Cape Town to Coffee Bay (which includes guides to Nature’s Valley, Yellow Sands, Coffee Bay and Hogsback) for more South African roadtrip inspiration. If you’re looking for Garden Route guides check out my comprehensive guide to Knysna.

2 thoughts on “Cape St Francis

  1. Hi Bud
    Read your interesting article on St Francis Bay but unfortunately you did not experience the harbour walk to Bruce’s beauties, the coffee experience at Bruce’s and the botanical gardens of Santareme .

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