Port Alfred- Cape Travel Guides - Accommodation, Safaris, Adventure

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Province: Eastern Cape
Region:
Town: Port Alfred

PORT ALFRED
Port Alfred is the largest town in the Ndlambe Municipality and one of the fastest growing holiday resorts in the Eastern Cape. Situated at the mouth of the Kowie River, Port Alfred has a great deal activities, including scuba diving, surfing, whale watching, fishing, canoeing and waterskiing on the river, bird watching, swimming and hiking and has some of the finest and best known golf courses in the country. Port Alfred is a superb beach and bush destination.

The town was founded in 1825 and was named Port Frances after the wife of the then Governor of the Cape, Lord Charles Somerset. In 1860 the town was renamed Port Alfred after Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria who was visiting South Africa at the time. Some of the historic structures remain including the old settlers church which was erected in 1825 and was twice destroyed during the Xhosa resistance. In 1841 a resident of Grahamstown, William Cock decided that his region would be more prosperous if there was a harbour nearer his town, formed the Kowie Harbour Improvement Company, with the intention of turning the mouth of the Kowie River into a harbour. The scheme met with limited success, it managed some trade but the mouth of the harbour kept silting up and thus scuttled the scheme. The idea was revisited during the Second World War with a view to encouraging the local fishing industry but work was stopped soon thereafter for the old reasons.

Today Port Alfred is a popular holiday and residential resort with a plethora of activities and attractions.

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