Extending from the Kei River mouth to Port Edward and inland to the Drakensberg Mountains and Lesotho. The Wildcoast has remained relatively undeveloped over the last forty years.

The former 'independent state' of the Transkei was created as a homeland in the sixties and was only reintegrated into South Africa in 1994. This troubled history has created a time capsule, preserving the cultures and landscape from indiscriminate modern development and providing the visitor with an unforgettable, all African experience.

From the inland national road and the bustling capital of Umtata a rolling grassland, dotted with rondavel settlements meets a coastline of afro-montane forest and rugged cliffs reminiscent of the Garden Route, but more remote and tropical in nature.

Access to many coastal areas can be difficult without 4x4 assistance and like the Garden Route, walking and hiking remains one of the best ways to experience the region.

Highlights include Port St. Johns at the base of the spectacular Mzimvubu ravine. Ten kilometers of navigable river open onto a wide sandy beach and estuary, with excellent fishing, forest walks and the Silaka Nature Reserve.

Port Grosvenor - near to the final resting place of the ill fated merchantman Grosvenor (1782) and site of numerous and misguided attempts to recover her treasures.

Coffee Bay - reputedly named after a wreck that spilt its cargo into the bay - boasts some splendid beaches and stunning scenery. The six hour hike to the hole in the wall is well worth the effort. Known by the locals as esikhaleni or 'place of noise' - a high cliff with a naturally eroded archway stands alone and exposed to the pounding open ocean.