PORT ELIZABETH WITH KIDS

If you’re in Port Elizabeth with kids and looking for suitable places to visit below is a list. There are restaurants listed, activities and a places that combine both.

Personally, I cannot vouch for many of these places as they are new to me but I hope to explore as many of them as I can in the upcoming months as I will be in Port Elizabeth with kids this December. Where I have visited I have compiled a review and you will find the link next to the website or Facebook page address. 

 I am not affiliated with any of the places listed below and I cannot attest to their parking, quality of the food or safety. Please look up each place you intend visiting (the web address is listed alongside the address) and confirm for yourself whether it is a place you want to visit of your own accord.

If you’re looking for more information about Port Elizabeth – the town I grew up in follow the post to the bottom where I give a bit of detail about this South African city.

PORT ELIZABETH WITH KIDS – THE LIST

Beaches to visit 

1. Kings Beach. Beach Road, Humewood, Port Elizabeth. 
2. Hobie Beach. Marine Drive, Summerstrand.
3. Walk along the beachfront from Hobie Beach to Kings Beach – there is a flat walkway the whole way and you can take scooters, bikes or prams.
4. McArthur Baths. Beach Road, Homewood.

Animals 

1. Homeleigh Farms. Grey Dawn Road, Off Kragga Kamma Road, Port Elizabeth.
2. A day trip to Addo Elephant Park. R335 Paterson Road, Addo, 6105, (Approximate address).  Website: https://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/
3. SAMREC. Cape Recife Nature Reserve in Port Elizabeth (Off Marine Drive after Pine Lodge).
4. Horse ride. through Sardinia Bay Nature Reserve.
5. Byword Museum. Beach Road, Homewood, 6013, Port Elizabeth. The museum is very old and remains the same as when I visited it in the late 1990s so don’t expect too much of it.
6. Penguin Island Cruise. Algoa Bay Yacht Club in the Port Elizabeth Harbour.

Play Centers

1. Treasure Land Play Park. 23 5th Avenue, Walmer.
2. Funky Frogs. Moffett On Main Lifestyle Centre, 109 17th Ave, Walmer, Port Elizabeth, 6070.
3. Kids Play Park at Windsor. 43 Circular Drive, Charlo, Port Elizabeth.
4. Tree House – Kids Fun Centre. Bloomingdales Nursery, 145 Main Road Walmer. Click on the link to read our full review of Tree House – Kids Fun Centre.
5. Caterpillar Kids 129 Fordyce Road, Walmer, Port Elizabeth.
6. Chrisuella Playground and Party Venue 20 Draaifontein Road, Port Elizabeth.
7. Happy Huts Playground Plot 6 Kragga Kamma Road, Theescombe, Port Elizabeth.

Games

1. Putt Putt  The Boardwalk, Summerstrand, Port Elizabetha.
2. Ice skating at Baywest Mall 100 Baywest Blvd, Baywest.
3. Lighthouses Ten Pin Bowling. The Boardwalk Casino Complex, Beach Road, Summerstrand.

Playgrounds

1. Kings Beach Playground Beach Road, Humewood.

Unusual things to do in Port Elizabeth with kids

1. VW Autopavilion Factory Tour. 103 Algoa Rd, Uitenhage. For more details check out our full review, click on the link The Joneses
2. Sundays River Ferry. I asked the owners for confirmation of the address but did not receive a response.
3. Number 7 Castle Hill. 7 Castle Hill, Central Hill, Port Elizabeth.
4. Take a walk along Shark Rock Pier. Hobie Beach, Marine Drive, Summerstrand.
5. Fort Frederick Belmont Terrace, Central, Port Elizabeth.
6. The Campanile (there is even a lift now) Strand Street, Port Elizabeth Central.
7. Walmer Town Library  Bicycle Track Main Road, Walmer.
8. Sandboard at Maitlands Mouth Dunes Maitland Mouth Reserve, M9.
9. Old Railway Station Museum Market Street, Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
10. Stella Londt Mini Trains May Way & Stella Londt Drive.
11. The Valley Market Lower Valley Roads, Baakens Valley. Check out our Valley Market Review.
12. South African Air Force Museum Forest Hill Drive, Southdene, Port Elizabeth (The museum is on the southern side of the Port Elizabeth Airport).
13. St Croix Motor Museum Mowbray Street, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth.

Restaurants to visit 

1. Something Good Just off Marine Drive, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth. Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/somethinggoodpe/ Our Review: Something Good Review. 
2. Apron Strings 955 Sardinia Bay Rd, Port Elizabeth
3. The Pink Fig 3 Heatherbank Rd, Charlo, Port Elizabeth.
4. Floradale Nursery 63 Circular Drive, Charlo.
5. Weekend lunch at Slipperfields  Lady Slipper (Take the N2 toward Cape Town.  Take the 3rd turn off  (Van Stadens Pass / Uitenhage / R102).  At bottom of turnoff turn right towards the mountain.  Road makes a bend. Drive until you find a stop sign/railway crossing.  Just before crossing turn right onto red gravel road.  Take first right again)
6. The Joneses Family Cafe and Bistro 145 Main Road, Walmer, Port Elizabeth.  Click on the link to our full review of The Joneses.
7. The Grass Roof 792 Heron Rd, Port Elizabeth, 6070, South Africa
8. The Island Nature Reserve  Seaview Road, Port Elizabeth (After the turn off from N2, you travel for 6km to the entrty point of the Reserve which is on the left hand side of the Seaview road. ) (GPS Co-ordinates -33° 59′ 8.10″ 25° 22′ 12.41″).
9. Coffee and Kids Company Shop 4C, Willow Road Retail Park, Corner of Willow Road and Circular Drive, Fairview, Port Elizabeth.
10. Crossways Country Kitchen Crossways Farm Village, N2 Exit 707 between Port Elizabeth and Jeffreys Bay.
11. Open Sky Entertainment Park Plot 74 of Farm 10, Wyndomayne Road, Little Chelsea, Colleen Glen, Port Elizabeth.

♦

If you’re in Port Elizabeth with kids over Christmas Time you can also consider:

1. Uncle Jumbo’s Christmas Party.

2. Whether there are any cricket matches at St George’s Cricket Stadium.

3. Christmas Carols in PE hosted by Connected Life Church. 

4. The Port Elizabeth Christmas Expo

5. The annual pantomime generally held at The Athenaeum (in 2016 it was Puss in Boots).

Port Elizabeth is small city located along the southern coast of South Africa, 800 kms east of Cape Town. The City has a very laid back atmosphere, with only 250 000 residents and has been nicknamed “The Friendly City”. PE spans 16 kilometres along the Eastern Cape’s coast and is home to a number of lovely beaches.