For the April issue of Getaway, we visited the fascinating town of Pringle Bay that’s aiming to rid itself of single-use plastics. The Pringle Bay Festival (27-29 April 2018) is celebrating the achievement this year with a selection of live music across two stages and a range of bars and food stalls.
Beyond the festival, the small seaside town has a lot to offer and is a lovely place for a quiet weekend away. These are our favourite things to do there.
1. Visit the alpacas
The three cream alpacas – Don Juan, Truffles, and Mickey Blue Eyes – are friendly and approach the railing if you come quietly.
Arthur Rae is a retired US army helicopter pilot who purchased the open plot next to him to keep as a green zone. To combat the overgrowth him and his wife, Christine, decided to buy three alpacas. And just like that, one of Pringle Bay’s only tourist attractions was inadvertently established. They can be found on an open plot amongst houses at 1015 Elizabeth Road.
2. Have a drink at the Hangklip Hotel
The radar station from World War Two on the slopes of Hangklip can be seen from the hotel’s courtyard.
The Hangklip Hotel lies two kilometres past town on a gravel road directly below the mighty cliffs of Hangklip. The hotel has live music on weekends and a reputation for wild parties. The building has a history of ghost incidents and strange happenings. It was originally built as quarters for British servicewomen who, during World War 2, operated an experimental top-secret radar station from the mountain slopes above the hotel. It was responsible for tracking U-boat activity in the surrounding waters. The remains of the station, high up below the cliffs can still be seen today.
3. Walk on Moonlight Bay
Neighbouring Moonlight Bay, Kleinbaai is a just-as-pretty beach that very few people visit.
Main Beach is good for swimming, walking dogs, and children playing in the shallow estuary but Moonlight Bay is where locals go for a bit of privacy. It’s a ten-minute drive and ten-minute walk out of town but the stunning water and seclusion is worth the extra effort.
4. Check out the oystercatchers nesting on the beach
The African oystercatcher is near-threatened with a global population of 6000.
Pringle Bay is a wildlife hotspot. Dolphins and whales are often seen just off the coast, caracals are sometimes spotted on the outskirts of town, porcupines dig up the fenceless gardens, and oystercatchers nest on the beach.
5. Go for a walk on Brodie Link
The view from atop Brodie Link gives a wonderful show of the planning of Pringle Bay and where everything is laid out.
There are lots of lovely walks in the hills and mountains surrounding the village but Brodie Link probably offers the best reward for the least effort. A short 30-minute walk will take you to the top of the mountain behind Pringle Bay with views across the ocean towards the Cape Peninsula. For those with a bit more energy, the Hangklip hike (3.5 hours) offers a longer hike.
6. Eat at one of the surprisingly good restaurants
Lemon + Lime Cafe serve open sandwiches, starting from R66.
Over the years, Pringle Bay has been slowly establishing itself as somewhat of a culinary destination. And there are some real standout establishments worth checking out. Hook Line and Sinker is an iconic seafood restaurant that has been going for 21 years. The brash and entertaining owners are the hosts, waiters, and chefs. It’s celebrated for its fresh fish, wild prawns, steaks and chocolate pots. Bistro 365 is immensely popular and a Pringle Bay stalwart. The Asian pork belly is unreal and apparently, the lamb shank is too. And Lemon + Lime Deli was called by one local as the ‘Melissa’s of Pringle Bay.’
Find our inside guide Pringle Bay in the April 2018 issue of Getaway magazine.
Our April issue features 7 of our favourite campsites in Kruger, a winding exploration of a rejuvenating Eden we like to call Knysna, an affordable cultural exploration of Mauritius and much more.
