A weekend at Chintsa, thirty minutes from town
Big 5 game, a pottery studio open Friday to Sunday, beach lodges and an art gallery — what to do with two days on the Wild Coast edge.
Chintsa is the closest East London gets to a proper escape without committing to a long drive. Thirty-odd kilometres up the coast on the N2 and you are in a different rhythm — dune forest, a river mouth, and a beach long enough that you can walk for an hour and see four people.
You will see it spelled both Chintsa and Cintsa. Both are in use locally, and businesses split between the two. Search for both if you are looking something up.
Where to stay
Crawford's Beach Lodge in Cintsa West, on 043 738 5000, is an award-winning eco-lodge with thatched chalets and beach access.
Cintsa Dunes Beach Resort in Cintsa East, on 072 979 3030.
Buccaneers Beach Lodge on 066 317 2858, in Cintsa.
Both Cintsa Dunes and Buccaneers have advertised reduced off-season rates. Off-season on this coast is worth taking seriously — winter here is mild, the light is better, and the beach is empty in a way it never is in December.
Big 5, thirty kilometres out
Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve sits on the N2 at Chintsa, on 043 734 3234 — a Big 5 reserve about 30km from East London, with game drives, bush walks and luxury tented accommodation.
That proximity is the thing worth knowing. You can do a morning game drive and be back in East London for lunch. Most people who live here have never done it, which is a small tragedy.
When it rains
Hey Clay is a pottery painting studio set in a garden in Chintsa, on 082 327 3917, open Friday to Sunday from 9am. Exactly the right thing for a weekend with children and weather.
Art Gallery Lakrit in Chintsa East, on +27 83 600 1596, is a contemporary art gallery that also hosts events on its premises. Worth checking what is on before you drive out.
Further up the coast
If you have the whole day, keep going. Wild Coast Horse Riding Adventures runs beach rides from Kei Mouth, starting at about an hour and a half for beginners.
Kei Mouth is a longer drive and a rougher road in places, but it is the point where the Wild Coast properly begins.
Practical notes
Take cash. Signal is patchy in the valleys around Chintsa and card machines are not universal. Fill up in East London rather than assuming — fuel options thin out quickly once you leave the N2.
Check the tide before you plan a long beach walk. The Chintsa river mouth is crossable at low tide and awkward at high, and getting that wrong turns a pleasant afternoon into a long way round.
More accommodation and things to do across Buffalo City and the coast, and what is on this weekend if you would rather stay in town.