Gqeberha

Founded to protect the handful of elephants left after hunting, it now shows herds in every thicket. Flightless dung beetles are common on the roads, and signs tell drivers to give them right of way. You must leave before the gates close.

In 1820 acting governor Donkin raised a stone pyramid on the hill in memory of his wife Elizabeth, who died in India. The city's old name came from her too. Climb the lighthouse beside it for a view down over harbour and bay.

Marking the 67 years Mandela gave to public life, 67 artworks line the hillside streets of the centre. Coloured tiled steps and a big mural of people queueing to vote stand out. Starting at the Donkin Reserve and walking downhill is easiest.

A long pier off the Summerstrand beachfront with the dinghies and windsurfers of Hobie Beach on either side. Wind blows nearly every day, enough to lean you over walking seaward. At dusk anglers drop their lines off the end.

A reserve beach reached over big dunes, its currents strong enough that walking suits it better than swimming. East along the coast path lies the spot where cannon from a 17th-century Portuguese wreck rest. The sand offers no shade, so pack water and a hat.

Oiled or injured African penguins are brought in, nursed and released back to sea. It sits in the nature reserve on the Cape Recife lighthouse road. Time a visit with feeding and the penguins can be watched moving up close.

A rocky island in Algoa Bay that was once the world's largest African penguin breeding colony. Landing is banned, so boats circle it for viewing. Dolphin pods are often met on the way out, and whales pass in winter.

A surf town about an hour west by car, world famous for Supertubes, a right-hander that peels a long way. A world tour event runs around July. Even without surfing, the town is crowded with surf-brand outlet stores.

It tells how South End, a mixed neighbourhood by the harbour, was razed by forced removals under apartheid. Photos and household things from evicted residents are shown. Outside, a freeway slices through the area and hardly a trace of the old lanes is left.

A valley the Baakens River has cut right across the city, with walking paths and climbing rock in the bush. A few minutes down from the centre the traffic noise falls away. Some stretches see few people, so walk in a group rather than alone.

A small safari park 20 minutes' drive from the centre, toured in your own car on dirt roads. Giraffe, zebra and rhino come close to the track, while cheetahs live in a separate enclosure. It suits a half-day when there is no time for a big park.

The Southern Hemisphere's largest moving coastal dunefield, inside Addo's coastal section. Wind pushes the sand inland, so the dunes change shape every year. A two-day trail crosses forest and dunes; miss a marker post and you can easily stray.

A university town 90 minutes away by road, with churches and buildings from the British settlers of 1820. The National Arts Festival fills its streets with shows each year between late June and early July. Rooms vanish then, so book months ahead.