Port Edward

South Africa , South Africa

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Port Edward is a small coastal town at the southern end of KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast, lying just north of the Umtamvuna River, which forms the border with the Eastern Cape, and about 30 km south of Margate.

Originally laid out in 1925 and named in honour of the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), it has a relaxed village atmosphere, with lives revolving around warm Indian Ocean beaches, nearby banana and coffee farms, the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, and attractions such as the Beaver Creek Coffee Estate, the Red Desert and the Wild Coast Sun resort just across the river.

Historically, the area is notable for the 1552 wreck of the Portuguese ship São João, commemorated by a monument on the beach, and for Tragedy Hill, where early British settlers and local allies were killed in the 1830s; today, however, Port Edward is best known as a quiet holiday and second‑home destination, with relatively affordable property, a local golf course, shops and restaurants, and beaches and coves that become busy mainly during peak holiday seasons.