Kini Bay is a small coastal settlement situated on the Sunshine Coast between Algoa Bay and Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, a mere 15-minute drive from Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth).
Kini Bay falls within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, yet it has a distinct sense of isolation and charm that makes it so attractive to visitors.
Kini Bay has no shops or industry to speak of; it is a quaint sprinkling of beach cottages and homes that form a residential area that allows those who visit here a refuge from the hurly burly of city living, yet maintains its link with Port Elizabeth (officially renamed Gqeberha), allowing easy day trips into the city.
The unassuming Kini Bay village is virtually surrounded by natural vegetation in the heart of various conservancies that give one generous access to monkeys, buck, and pretty walks through the undergrowth.
Alongside the village lies a virtually unspoilt, remote beach littered with pretty little rock pools that are safe for swimming. Fishing and collecting shells here are a highlight of any visit, as are sightings of dolphins and whales in season.
Kini Bay’s nearest neighbour is the somewhat larger village of Seaview, where one can easily get necessities from the local supermarket, bakery, and delicatessen, for those who want to avoid Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth) so as to complete the impression of totally getting away from it all.
You can pick up fresh fish in Seaview daily, if fishing off the coast in Kini Bay doesn’t excite you. But it is surprising how few visitors actually seek entertainment outside of Kini Bay. Once there, the magic languor of the place and the remoteness result in languid days spent doing virtually nothing.
Other nearby neighbourhoods of Kini Bay are Beachview and Clarendon Marine, which lie to the west and north of Seaview, respectively.
