The Point is the headland with which Mossel Bay reaches south into the sea: lighthouse on top, rock shelves below, and between them a road with parking, restaurants and the Point Hotel. The tidal pool is the calmest place to swim on this side of town, a walled basin that the tide refills twice a day. Outside the walls the sea is rough. The wave off the Point is one of the well known breaks on the Garden Route, long and right handed, and on a good day there are dozens of people in the water.
- the tidal pool, no entry fee
- Free
- the tide refills the pool
- Twice a day
- by car from the centre
- 5 minutes
- the way the wave breaks at the Point
- Right
From the centre you walk to the Point in half an hour, or drive it in five minutes, with parking at the end of the road. The pool costs nothing. The restaurants at the water have terraces over the rocks, and in a southwester the spray reaches the windows. Two minutes up the slope stand the lighthouse and the cave. Anyone with a single afternoon in Mossel Bay spends it here.
- Time needed
- an afternoon
- Cost
- free
- When
- all year, swimming December to March
- From the Dias Museum
- 1.5 km
Our tipCheck the tide table. An hour after high water the pool is full and clear, just before low water it is shallow and warmer. Both have their moment, just not for the same purpose.
The Point: frequently asked questions
What is the tidal pool at the Point in Mossel Bay?
A walled seawater pool between the rock shelves at the Point, refilled by the tide twice a day. It costs nothing and is the calmest place to swim on the southern side of Mossel Bay; outside the walls the sea is rough.
Can you surf at the Point in Mossel Bay?
Yes, the wave off the Point is a well known Garden Route break, long and right handed. Beginners are better off at the beach; if you want to hire a board or take a lesson, ask around town for the surf schools.
How do you get to the Point?
Along the water from the centre of Mossel Bay, half an hour on foot or five minutes by car, with parking at the end of the road. The lighthouse and St Blaize Cave sit two minutes above, the restaurants right at the pool.