4- and 5-star hotels in Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay is a working harbour town and a long-standing holiday destination, known as the place where Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488 and as a gateway to the Garden Route. The coastline gives you beaches, rock pools and swimming, surfing and fishing, boat trips to Seal Island and shark cage diving. The Point headland has a lighthouse and a cave with evidence of early human habitation, and inland the land rises towards the Langeberg and Outeniqua mountains with nature reserves and game farms. The climate is mild year-round, with warm summers and mild winters.

The listed hotels sit in very different parts of the area. Marsh Street, Hill Street, Rodger Street, Point Road, Church Street and Market Street place several properties in the town centre and at The Point, within walking distance of restaurants, the Bartolomeu Dias Museum and the harbour. Pinnacle Point Drive and Pinnacle Point Road are on the headland, Diaz Strand is on the beachfront south of the centre, Magersfontein Avenue is in Hartenbos, and the game reserves lie inland at Little Brak River, the R328 at the foot of Robinson Pass, and Herbertsdale. Couples and short-break visitors tend to suit the central guesthouses, families the beach and resort addresses, and business travellers the hotels with business centres and public transport nearby.

Getting there and around

Mossel Bay is on the N2 highway, about 400 kilometres from Cape Town and 320 kilometres from Port Elizabeth. George Airport is the nearest airport, roughly 40 kilometres away, with domestic flights. Buses run along the Garden Route, and by car the drive from Cape Town takes about four to five hours. Once in town, a car is useful for reaching beaches and attractions, though the central area is walkable. Local taxis and ride-hailing services operate, but coverage may be limited at night.

When to go

The best time to visit is during the summer months from October to March, when temperatures are warm and rainfall is lower. This is peak holiday season, so book accommodation in advance. Winter, from June to August, is cooler and wetter, but still mild compared to other regions. Whale watching is possible from June to November, and the town is less crowded outside the December holidays.