Page 31 - LHR Biker September 2025

Touring the Wild Coast — A rider’s travel feature
Why ride the Wild Coast?
The appeal is immediate:
endless ocean views, sweeping
dirt and tar sections, sleepy
seaside towns and backroads
that twist through green hills and
river valleys. Unlike manicured
tourist corridors, the Transkei
Wild Coast remains raw and
intermittently remote — meaning
fewer crowds, more honest
roads and opportunities to camp
on beaches or stay in rustic
guesthouses with character.
Many guided and self-guided
operators run motorcycle trips
here, but the true pleasure is
planning a flexible route and
letting the coast set the pace. For
riders, that means a blend of
adventure-bike capability and
the willingness to leave rigid
schedules behind.
A suggested 5–7 day loop
(starter itinerary)This is a
practical loop that starts and
ends at the N2 (for access from
Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha or
Durban) and focuses on rideable
highlights without trying to bite
off the entire coastline at once.
Distances are deliberately
modest — the Wild Coast is best
enjoyed slowly.
LHR Biker Magazine
There are motorcycle roads and then there are
roads that feel like they were made for
remembering. The Wild Coast of South Africa—an
indented, wind-swept sweep of shoreline in the
Eastern Cape—doesn’t purr politely; it roars, it
surprises, it forces you to slow down and actually
look. For riders who crave a mix of coastal cliffs,
quiet villages, sandy tracks, and sometimes
sketchy surf-side tar, the Wild Coast rewards
patience with moments you’ll carry home like
talismans: the legendary Hole in the Wall at Coffee
Bay, the cliff-bound drama of Port St Johns, river
mouths that thread to empty beaches, and Xhosa
villages that offer warm hospitality and a glimpse
into daily life far removed from the freeway hum.
This is a touring route that’s as much about attitude
and preparation as it is about scenery. Read on for
a practical route, what maps to pack, and the rider
tips that can turn a frustrating day into a brilliant
one.
Day 1 — N2 / Mthatha (fuel up, and accept plenty of off-road
last big grocery run) → Port St time. Always build contingency
Johns days for weather and ferry or
Day 2 — Explore Port St Johns: river crossings.
coastal pounts, Devil’s Bite
lookout, river mouth rides (easy Maps and navigation — what
day) to carry
Day 3 — Port St Johns → Hole in Paper maps and waterproof map
the Wall / Coffee Bay (coastal insets for Coffee Bay / Hole in the
roads and beach stops) Wall are still sold locally and are
Day 4 — Coffee Bay to Mdumbi / surprisingly useful when phone
Hluleka (beach, reserve walks, coverage drops. There are also
surfviews) several contemporary PDF map
Day 5 — Mdumbi → Port resources and tourist maps for
Edward (or ride inland back to the Wild Coast which show main
the N2 via Lusikisiki/Flagstaff if coastal routes and reserve
weather or time dictates) boundaries — grab a regional
Day 6–7 — Return leg, flexible Wild Coast map (waterproof
options: linger at a favorite bay, v e r s i o n s e x i s t ) a n d a
or press inland to catch better tar Slingsby/topographic map if you
and head home. plan any serious detours.
This loop gives you time to take On the digital side, a pre-
d i r t s p u r r o a d s , w a l k t o downloaded offline region map
viewpoints, and recover from the on your phone (Maps.me,
occasional sand section without OsmAnd or Google offline maps)
having to cover monstrous daily gives turn-by-turn backup when
mileages. If you’ve got only a reception fails. Print one concise
weekend, focus on Port St Johns route plan and staple it into a
→ Coffee Bay and accept that notebook — broken phone
you’ll be leaving a lot unseen. batteries or drowned electronics
have ended more days than a
For full coverage up and down foggy headlamp.
the coast add a few extra days
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October 2025