Sardinia Bay Beach - A Piece of Paradise
Some would call Sardinia Bay beach, located just on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, a beach paradise. Just a ten-minute drive out of the city, this stunning beach is still relatively undeveloped and uncrowded. Many locals still consider Sardinia Bay to be the last beach refuge during holiday season when thousands of visitors flock to the coast and crowd out the beaches. Few visitors know about this little haven, but more find out about it with each passing year. Its popularity as a swimming, kite surfing, sand boarding, horse riding and sunbathing beach is growing more and more with each passing year.
What can you expect to find when you visit Sardinia Bay? As already mentioned, the facilities are limited. Part of a preserved natural area, Sardinia Bay does not have any mega developments claiming proximity to the beach’s shoreline. It does, however, have a well-constructed lifeguard club building. The waters are regularly and keenly watched by a number of trained lifeguards who take turns ensuring that the beaches waters are kept safe. These lifeguards also sometimes assist in launching boats into the sea here since there is no pier. Behind the club building, the public toilets take the form of rent-a-loos which are not particularly popular with the locals. There are two unprotected showers where you can wash the sand off before heading home at the end of the day. There are built in toilets further away from the main parking area behind the sand dunes but these are often difficult to reach. Other facilities include a few braai (barbeque) areas, picnic tables and stairways.
One of the best aspects of Sardinia Bay is the beach's proximity to a protected natural area. The Chelsea Downs Nature Reserve is accessible to the public without the need for a permit, but should be respected and protected at all times. It has a number of walking and horse riding trails, small watery alcoves and plenty of vegetation and wildlife. The sand dunes are accessible to sand boarders though care should be taken not to ride over natural vegetation. The beach is also open to dog lovers but surfers should take care since there are strong undercurrents further off shore.