Mazeppa Bay, Eastern Cape

The historic Mazeppa Bay suspension bridge.

© Kate Turkington

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Mazeppa Bay is a rustic little seaside village that clings to the Eastern Cape's spectacular Wild Coast. There's nothing here in the way of resort sophistication: expect simplicity, freedom, family fun and enjoy the sunshine, surf, desolate beaches, walking, birding, superb fishing and a historic suspension bridge.

Why the Portuguese name of Mazeppa for an African seaside village? The story goes that in 1842, the ship Mazeppa was on its way from Delagoa Bay (Maputo Bay today) to Port Natal (Durban) on a rescue mission to save the besieged garrison from the Boers.

It never made it and ran aground at what is now Mazeppa Bay. Legend has it that the ship lies buried under the dunes. Today nobody is hunting for buried treasure, but adults and children alike go sandboarding down the dunes – often on improvised equipment made of cardboard and tea trays.

Generations of the same families have been coming to the Mazeppa Bay hotel and the village's holiday cottages for decades. You'll find all ages of all shapes and sizes going full tilt over Christmas and New Year when 2 hotly contested competitions take place – a sandcastle-building competition and an 'Iron Person' competition.

Contestants pit their creativity and physical prowess against each other on the beach, at darts, ping-pong, tug-of-war and various board games. After the competition, pints are pulled, glasses clinked and winners and losers alike feast on seafood taken from the sea that very day.

The fishing is legendary at Mazeppa Bay. Game and shark fishing reigns supreme, and many fishermen (and women) employ kite-fishing techniques to land the big one, before throwing it back into the Indian Ocean.

And if you want to walk, stroll along the aptly named Mile Beach, or venture into the Manubi Forest.