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wash away your city stresses
Lappiesbaai, Stilbaai
Lappiesbaai, a Blue Flag beach in Stilbaai
© WESSA Blue Flag
Did you know?
A famous archaeological site 12km from Stilbaai is the Blombos cave, which has yielded a piece of decorated ochre some 75 000 years old.
Lappiesbaai takes its name from an unlikely source – the practice of hanging washing out to dry on the bushes of its dunes. 'Lappies' is the Afrikaans word for ‘rags’ and in years gone by the locals would hang their washing out to dry on the vegetation along the beach, resembling pieces of rags, hence the name Lappiesbaai, or ‘Bay of Rags’. Stilbaai, another Afrikaans name, translates as Still Bay, but the tranquil town is often referred to as the ‘Bay of Sleeping Beauty’ after one of the peaks in the nearby Langeberg mountains that resembles a sleeping woman.
This Blue Flag beach between Mossel Bay and Riversdale nudges the warm Indian Ocean and is the site where the Gaukau River flows into the sea. Mild weather, tranquil surroundings and good whale watching have contributed to its ever-increasing popularity, particularly over the December and Easter holiday periods. However busy it does get, Stilbaai always has an air of peace and calm.
On this Stilbaai beach there is a cosy restaurant that begs for long, lazy sunny afternoons eating local fare and doing a whole lot of nothing. Swimming is a highlight and fishing from the beach and rocks is excellent. A special beach-friendly wheelchair is available to allow visitors with physical challenges to enter the sea in safety. For nature-lovers, the bird life is pretty prolific in the region.
The Stilbaai area offers good quality accommodation of various types, from farm accommodation to caravan parks to guesthouses. Fishing and scuba-diving are some of the water sports available. Stilbaai Tourism Bureau, located in a National Monument called the Palinggat Homestead, accommodates a historical exhibition. In a fountain in the garden are tame freshwater eels that are fed daily at 11:00 and have spectator value. Eels have been resident in the fountain for 125 years.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Stilbaai Tourism
Tel: +27 (0)28 754 2602
Fax: +27 (0)28 754 2549
Email: stilbaai@hessequa.net
How to get here
Stilbaai is situated off the N2 highway, between Riversdale and Albertinia. Turn south at the Stilbaai signpost and 26km later you will be in Stilbaai. The road journey will take 3 hours from Cape Town, 4 hours from Port Elizabeth and an hour from Mossel Bay. The nearest airport is in George.
Tours to do
There are many options for day trips from Stilbaai on the Garden Route and the Klein Karoo interior. Attractions include the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, the Meiringspoort and Swartberg Passes, the Mossel Bay Maritime Museum, the Railway Museum in George, Botlierskop, a game farm near Great Brak River and the Reins Nature Reserve, on the way to Gourits River mouth.
Get around
Hire a car and explore the Garden Route. Alternatively there are a number of bus tour packages that operate along the Garden Route.
Length of stay
Spend a week or two exploring the Garden Route. Stop off at the towns of Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
Where to stay
Book yourself in to one of the many self-catering guesthouses in the area.
What to eat
Seafood is always a good bet when visiting the Garden Route coastline. Why not try out a fish braai for the first time when visiting the region?