Durban in South Africa is famous for its wonderful year round climate and fantastic tourist beaches. Durban’s Golden Mile is full of beautiful surf spots that are visited yearly by many tourists.
At the beginning of the Golden Mile you will find the Bay of Plenty, North and Dairy Beach. North Beach is where the world famous Mr. Price Pro Surf Competition takes place and is visited by competitive surfers from around the world. Here you can surf with a view of the beautiful Durban skyline and if you are early enough may even be visited by a school of curious dolphins! North Beach is not only perfect for surfing but also body boarding, kite surfing and paddle skiing and has the facilities for skateboarding. Protected by shark nets and patrolled by life guards North Beach is a popular beach with locals and tourists alike. You will also be able to find many restaurants- make sure you visit Joe Kools and sit at a table upstairs overlooking the promenade.
Walk south from North Beach and you will find Ushaka Marine World and Wet ‘n Wild Adventure Park. North of the pier in front of Ushaka is a lovely beach where you can surf and body board. Get there first thing in the morning and hire a kayak while the water is beautifully calm or even go on a kayak tour with the tour companies who operate from the promenade. It is also possible to sign up to do some scuba diving with PADI certified Calypso Diving and Adventure Centre.
To the south of the pier in front of Ushaka you will find Vetchies Reef. Here you can snorkel in the safe and calm waters of this man made reef and discover some fascinating sea life. It is also possible to scuba dive from the beach and Durban’s local dive clubs offer regular diving trips.
South of Vetchies Pier you will be able to find Addington beach which is a large stretch of beach perfect for surfing as well as paddling in the shore break. Like North Beach and Ushaka’s beach it is protected by shark nets and life guards and is also very popular with the locals as it is safe for both the young and old.
Recently, millions of dollars has been spent on upgrading the promenade, and Durban’s beachfront will soon be able to rival the world’s most famous beach destinations.
