Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay's main attractions are an excellent museum complex; several beautiful historic stone buildings, some of which date back hundreds of years (the central part of Mossel Bay is exceptionally well preserved); some of the best oysters along the coast; golf; and good beaches with safe, secluded bathing. The area has most of the very few north-facing (read: sunniest) beaches in South Africa, but be warned: as it's very popular with local families, it is a writhing, seething mass of juvenile humanity every December. Dolphins—sometimes hundreds at a time—frequently move through the bay in search of food, and whales swim past during their annual migration (July-October). You could take a cruise out to Seal Island, home to a breeding colony of more than 2,000 Cape fur seals or, if you're feeling brave, a cage dive to view the numerous white sharks (blue pointers) that hang around the seal colony.