Port Elizabeth is the fifth largest city in South Africa. It is often called the windy city and the friendly city. The locals refer to the city as PE, and it is located on the southern Indian Ocean coastline, between Durban and Cape Town.
Settled on the beautiful shores of Nelson Mandela Bay, the city is both a tourist mecca as well as a major sea port. Port Elizabeth is also a major hub for the South African motor industry. The weather in Port Elizabeth is simply divine. With summers in the mid 20's Celsius, and winters reaching only a low of 9 degrees Celsius, what more could you possibly ask for.
Founded in 1820, it was seen as strategic position by the British for strengthening the border region between the Xhosa and Cape Town. It is now part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and is home to approximately 1.3 million people. The ethnic composition of the city is Black African - 30.6%, Coloured - 27.0%, Indian/Asian - 3.2%, White - 37.8% and Other - 1.4%.
The languages spoken in order of percentage include Afrikaans - 40.2%, English - 33.2%, Xhosa - 22.2% and Other - 4.3%.
Some of the key tourist attractions include the Donkin Reserve, the Alexandria Dune Fields, the Nelson Mandela Bay City, the Wezandla African Arts and Crafts Gallery, the Apple Express, the Boardwalk Casino, Kragga Kamma Game Park, The Peoples Observatory, the Sukume Museum & Xhosa Culture Centre, the Pumba Private Game Reserve and the South End Museum.
There are a stack of activities to participate in like surfing, hiking, guided walks, sandboarding, motorcycle tours, golf, and safari tours. The area also offers some of the best scuba diving locations for experienced divers such as Bell Buoy, Devil's Reef, Evan's Peak, Haerlem Wreck, Phillips Reef, Riy Banks and Thunderbolt Reef.
For those of you that are shopping mad, you can't beat The Boardwalk, Greenacres Shopping Centre and Walmer Park Shopping Centre.
There is also a great selection of places to get a good feed such as Blue Waters Cafe, The Fishmonger, Leonardo's, Mauro's, Ocean Grill, Old Austria, The Oyster Catcher, Tiffany's, Ginger Restaurant, Fushin Sushi & Eastern Cuisine, and Primi Coastal.
If you're looking for somewhere to have a few quiet drinks you certainly can't go past Barney's Tavarn, the Ekhaya Pub, Ibhayi Brewery, the News Cafe, Blackbeards Tavern, Rasoi, BuZZ Bar, and Cubana.