Ponta do Ouro beach Mozambique

Picturesque Ponta do Ouro beach in Mozambique. Image: Adobe Stock

Ponta do Ouro: 10km from KwaZulu-Natal and years away from 2020

The 1960s and 1970s are alive and well in the seaside paradise just across the border in Mozambique.

Ponta do Ouro beach Mozambique

Picturesque Ponta do Ouro beach in Mozambique. Image: Adobe Stock

Crossing the South African border near Kosi Bay and travelling a mere 10km to Ponta do Ouro in southern Mozambique is a remarkable journey that may be short but takes you back years to the days when rustic seaside towns ruled.

It is a town that is loved by South Africans because, contrary to the Plett experience, Ponta do Ouro on the surface doesn’t appear to have much to offer. And, that is a significant part of its charm; entering Ponta, as local and regulars alike call the town, is like stepping back decades.

It is full of the people who have opted out and live a lifestyle that instantly takes makes you envious and takes you back to the age when hippies ruled.

Changes start at the border

The signs that things are changing appear at the KwaZulu-Natal side of the border. The tarmac ends abruptly, and the conventional customs and emigration buildings give way to converted containers and salesmen hustling for their share of the mandatory road tax payments.

Until recently, this usually provoked a lot of laughter and comments about “what road?”. Now, however, a Chinese-built highway isn’t too far away and also branches off to the outskirts of Ponta do Ouro. Those with 4x4s, however, often stick to the old road that is nothing more than a track running through the bush. It is a good way of getting into the feel of what is to come. 

Adopting this choice comes with its hazards. Tracks in the region have a habit of intersecting. They all look alike and can easily set you off in the wrong direction. The best you can do if it’s your first visit is to follow the highway.

The hippie returns to Ponta do Ouro

Once in town, it’s easy to spot the “locals” — many of them South African transplants. They sport the year-round tans that are endemic to the population and have the laid back attitude that comes with years of living in a beach paradise. 

Typical is the guy who runs the surf shop — he has bleached blonde hair and wears baggies. Add the beaded bracelet and the matching necklace, and you have pure “hippiedom”. The womenfolk too favour the look. Brown, relaxed, bare-armed, tousle-haired and wearing long, peasant-type skirts and blouses they often go to work barefoot.

It’s no surprise that the influence has spread into the business sector — what there is of it. Businesses feature names like the “Love Café” or “Durban Curry” while others reflect the fact that the beach is the dominant form of activity in the town. 

Local beats franchised foods

It’s all very appealing, something that is magnified by the lack of Golden Arches and signage that guarantees that when you enter you don’t even have to look at a menu because you already know what’s on offer.

Bare feet and sandals rule here because taking a stroll down to the beach means walking along sand roads through the centre of town and dodging drifts of sand that can trap unwary cars and even the odd 4×4. 

Deep potholes force the minimal traffic to a crawl, so foot traffic flows wherever it pleases. Shopping means buying everything from T-shirts to vegetables, beer to local rum from shopkeepers who operate beneath structures composed of tree branches, canvas, plastic and a firm belief that they will remain standing regardless of what weather is thrown at them.  

The more energetic entrepreneurs are to be found on the beach selling trinkets, cold drinks, ice creams and, of course, giant prawns and crayfish from ice-filled polystyrene containers. You pay your money and take the risk. 

On the positive side, though, after many visits to Ponta, I have yet to hear of a negative report regarding street-bought delicacies — despite the basic “hygiene” standards and lack of compliance with food-related bylaws (if there are any). 

Tourists rule

It is evident in this town that tourism rules. Visitors bring in the vast majority of income for the locals. There is little else available besides catering for tourists’ needs for food, drink, souvenirs, accommodation.

Mozambique treasures. Image via Adobe Stock

Water-based activities such as deep-sea game fishing, scuba diving, surfing and trips that offer swimming with dolphins dominate the business scene. 

Be there at the right time of year, generally between June to November, and the chances are good that, even if you aren’t on a boat trip, you will see whales cruising past and dolphins closer inshore.

Accommodation for all budgets

Accommodation varies from diving camps to Out-of-Africa-type luxury tented accommodation with fans and adjoining private kitchens and bathrooms to hotels. 

Prices differ and meet the needs of everybody. Tents pitched in the park near the sea cost around R175 a night (for two campers). Diving lodges come in from R170 per night (basic, shared accommodation) to about R2,750 per night for a rented house or luxury seaside house in the Mar E Sol complex that borders the main beach.

Buying one of these houses, and many South Africans do, will set you back about R3.5 million.

The beach at Ponta do Ouro

Image via author

Onto the beach — Ponta’s jewel. This curves from a promontory containing rock pools, wading spots and great nooks and crannies in which to find small fish and crabs and stretches to infinity. It is broad, covered in soft, squeaky-clean sand, and extends far beyond the town. Hike along the beach, and you can walk several kilometres to the diving resort of Ponta Malongane without seeing a soul.

Most visitors are content to stay on the beach, swim in the bay which is formed by a sandbar close offshore, stroll to see what ski boats are bringing ashore or see the launching and dramatic beaching of dive boats that all share the sand.

Local is ‘lekker’ 

Of course, no visit is complete without sampling the local cuisine.  

Pão, the local bread, is best eaten freshly baked. Peri-peri chicken and prawns are a must — particularly when you are having them in Ponta or at one of the “eateries” a bit out of town where you can sit and watch the sun go down over nearby Lake Sugi. 2M beer is a local institution as is the notorious R&Rs — (raspberry-flavoured cold drink and rum) which is far too palatable and habit forming. 

Running a restaurant or pub are favoured occupations, and it is impossible to drive too far without having a choice of cuisine or drinking hole. Some a few kilometres out of town on a rugged sand road like the famous 360-named for its spectacular inland and coastal views will appeal to sophisticated tastes. 

Others will prefer those housed under straw roofs, which offer wooden benches and tables and carpets of sand-there is something special about sipping an ice-cold 2M and wriggling your toes in the sand.

At all these places, the generic meal of the day is a big plate of succulent chicken, prawns and chips that will set you back about R80 depending on the costs of the surrounding hostelry.

Sightseeing

Getting up the hill to 360, especially when it is wet, is easiest in a 4×4. Having a vehicle that can plough through sand, deep puddles and over tricky rock formations ensures that you can reach the spots that offer spectacular beach views and drives through coastal forests that press against your vehicle and filter out the blazing sun. 

Ponta do Ouro beach. Image via Adobe Stock

Getting to Ponta do Ouro

Reaching Ponta do Ouro from SA is by road either along the north coast from Durban, or from Gauteng via the Komatipoort border post near Malelane in Mpumalanga. This option connects to the uncrowded highway and gets within 20km of Maputo before swinging off towards Ponta. It also cuts about two hours off travel time on the traditional routes. 

Other roads meet at Ermelo, on to Pongola across the Jozini Dam wall, worth the drive on its own, and through the backroads of KZN to the border near Kosi Bay. Alternatively, from Pongola, the road goes to Sodwana Bay and then on to the customs and immigration post.

Whatever route you choose, the destination and its rewards are the same.