When we are at home in the KZN Midlands, we often pop down to the coast for a few days. Ballito is a favourite hang-out because we love walking the Ballito boardwalk, which runs along the Ballito beach front. This partly wood, partly concrete walkway lies just above the beach. It is thus in front of all the apartment buildings, so your view of the various beaches and the mighty Indian Ocean is uninterrupted!
Ballito town is about 40km up the N2 from Durban on the east coast of South Africa. It is a rapidly expanding town that deserves a visit if for no other reason than to walk their boardwalk.
From before dawn till after dusk, the boardwalk is busy.
First mainly with runners and walkers getting their daily dose of kms in before heading for work, or the beach if they are on holiday. They will come across fishermen with their fishing rods slung over their shoulders – either heading home after a night’s fishing or heading down to the rocks to try their luck.
Then come the families with young kids, dragging Mum and Dad down to the beach at an hour when most parents on holiday would hope to still be asleep. But it’s the beach and soooo exciting!
Ballito Boardwalk Attractions
A while later the coffee seeking people amble onto the walkway and make their way along the boardwalk to one of the gems that can be found on the boardwalk. This very conveniently situated mobile coffee spot serves top class coffee from sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week.
It’s only a small exaggeration to claim that by 9h00, just about everyone on the boardwalk, barring some late runners, is strolling along with a coffee in their hand. But there are also plenty of places to sit and enjoy your coffee while watching the surfers, fishermen and often, especially in the morning, pods of Dolphin moving up or down the coast.
And while you stroll along, it’s a good idea to pay attention to your surroundings, otherwise you may miss a few other gems that are scattered along the Ballito boardwalk.
The Ballito lighthouse is a case in point! Not your traditional lighthouse by any means. In fact not a lighthouse at all except that it is on the beach front and points out to sea. But if you are on the boardwalk you will have to take your eyes off the sea and look “inland” or you will stroll right past it.
Then, towards the Durban end of the Ballito boardwalk you will often come across a magnificent sand sculpture that has been carefully crafted out of beach sand. How long do these sculptures last? It depends on the tides and the inclination of the artist. But it’s a rare day when there is nothing on offer for the passing foot traffic to admire.
Sea, Sun & Surf
Of course the Indian Ocean, and what goes on in and around it, is the major attraction of wandering along this walkway.
Look far out to sea and you are likely to see a plethora of sea going craft. From the massive tankers at anchor on the skyline, waiting to get into Durban harbour, to ocean going yachts and smaller speed boats carrying fishermen or dolphin and whale watchers cruising just beyond the breakers.
Closer in, surfers, boogy boarders, body surfers and even the odd kite surfer enjoy the rolling waves that the Indian Ocean pushes ashore relentlessly. In fact the surf is so good that the Ballito Pro, a World Surf League event, takes place at Ballito every year.
But you don’t have to be a Pro to enjoy the waves. The Agulhas ocean current, which carries warm tropical Indian Ocean water south down the coast, ensures that the water temperature is usually somewhere between 20 – 26°C depending on the time of year.
So it’s worth leaving the boardwalk to dip a toe (or more) in the ocean. If you are more adventurous, you could try taking a few surfing lessons. And if you enjoy being close to the ocean, but don’t actually like getting wet, then a microlight flight along the coast is available from just a few km inland from the beach.
Sun Hats, Beach Towels & More
Don’t worry if you happen to arrive on the boardwalk ill prepared for a beach session. Dotted along the length of the beach front you will find everything you need to enjoy a day on the beach.
Want to hire an umbrella or treat the kids (and yourself) to an ice cream – no problem! Forgotten your beach towel, or sunglasses, or sun hat, or bucket and spade? Still no problem. All this and more is available right there.
Towards the Durban end of the promenade, you will find several pubs and restaurants both on the beach front itself and more a short walk up an incline to the road that runs parallel to the beach front.
Al Pescatore is a particular favourite of ours for lazy lunches or dinners. It is easily reached by foot along the boardwalk and it’s upstairs location offers great views out over the ocean.
And when we need more than our boardwalk morning coffee, we head for Concha Bakery & Cafe for a relaxed and yummy breakfast. It is also the ideal place to sit out on the pavement and watch the world go by. Runners, cyclists, bikers, artists, surfers and all other manner of humanity gather here to enjoy a meal.
There is plenty of accommodation available along the beachfront but like many coastal towns, things can get a bit crowded during the school holidays. So if you are like us and prefer to avoid a crowd, head to Ballito during school term time and enjoy a relaxed seaside sojourn.
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