Things to see, do and explore in Plettenberg Bay

When it comes to things to see in Plettenberg Bay, there are plenty of things to see, do, visit and explore in this beautiful town aptly dubbed "The Jewel of the Garden Route".

	A delightful farmers market that happens every Saturday in Plett. Fresh farmers produce, delicious foods, clothing, hand made goods, semi-precious stones, books, holistic goodies and so much more.
harkervillemarket.co.za	Cell: 084 510 9939

	A delightful farmers and home made goodies mid-week market every Wednesday at Old Nicks Village in Plett. Fresh farmers produce, delicious foods, hand made goods,  books, music and much more. There is a coffee shop and restaurant on site.
oldnickvillage.co.za

In 1778, The Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Baron Van Plettenberg of the VOC visited the Bay. Deciding to name this bay after him-self, he erected the possessional stone of the Dutch East India Company on the hill that overlooks Central Beach. It can still be viewed today and it looks down over the old timber store. The Stone has recently been restored. There is a beautiful lookout point here as well.

In 1786 the Dutch East India Company contracted Johann Jacob Jerling to build a Timber Shed for storage of the timber. Today the remains of the Old Timber Shed can be found in Meeding Street. The remains have been partially restored twice. It is one of the oldest buildings in Plettenberg Bay and was declared a National Monument in 1936. Permissions have been received to restore it again in 2014.

The complex was originally two separate structures linked by a yard with a cookhouse. The buildings were constructed in 1789 by the VOC (Dutch East India Company) as barracks for troops stationed in Plettenberg Bay. In the early 1900s the barracks, cookhouse and yard were combined to create a single, large T-shaped building. Close by is a rough outbuilding, the School House, and the Old Timber Shed built for the VOC by Johann Jerling in 1788. The Old Rectory has now been immaculately restored and recreated into an intimate 5 star boutique hotel. Parts of the old rectory have been preserved nad can still be viewed in the rebuilding of this historical monument.

The navigational beacon was first erected on the Beacon Island in 1771. The original one was a square block of stinkwood, inscribed with the latitude and longitude of Plettenberg Bay, and was erected to enable mariners to check their location. It was replaced by a stone one by Captain Sewell in 1881 and can be seen in the Gardens of the current Beacon Island Hotel.

In the winter of 1630 a large Portugese ship the São Gonçales broke up in a severe storm while anchored for repairs off Robberg Beach. All that were on board during the storm perished. About 100 others that had been encamped on the beach, became South Africa’s first recorded European inhabitants. They built small boats which enabled them to depart nine months later, but they left behind porcelain and other relics that are now on permanent public display at the Municipal offices.

Things to see, do, visit and explore in Plettenberg Bay, on the Garden Route, in the Western Cape, South Africa

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