Rent a house on the South African coast - at Eersterivierstrand

Curious about renting a house on the South African coast? We spent a week in our friends' amazing summer house at Eersterivierstrand - a house that can be rented via airbnb. This week offered the best views we've ever experienced from a house. ever.

Renting a house on the coast of South Africa

The coastline of South Africa is stunning. The combination of steep cliffs, silky sandy beaches, dramatic waves and high mountains as a backdrop is unrivalled. If you want to holiday along the coast, there are many options in the form of hotels, guesthouses, bed & breakfasts and various houses for rent. Here we tell you about our friends' fantastic summer house at Eersterivierstrand - a house rental option on the South African coast.

Our South African friends Henri and Michelle have a summer house on Eersterivierstrand, just west of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and just east of Storms River Mouth. In other words, the house is at the eastern end of the lovely and popular Garden Route.

Driving to the house at Eersterivierstrand

We drove all the way from Johannesburg to Eersterivierstrand, with two nice overnight stays on the way: Bethulie and Nieu-Bethesda. The roads in South Africa are generally very good. However, the very last stretch down to Eersterivierstrand is on a dirt road, until a golf club and a collection of houses appear. And then we began to sense the views in front of us ... Wow!

Amazing views!

What amazing views! It's hard to put it into words. We both love the sea, and here the sea is somehow extra beautiful; so big, so powerful and so dramatic. The waves roll in with force and hit the rocks hard. Some waves hit extra loud, leaving you gasping for breath and forgetting what you are doing....

The house overlooks the sea in all directions, and to one side you can see the nearest beach; a stunningly beautiful sandy beach where the waves slide in and make the sand silky smooth.

Mornings and evenings offer a particularly stunning spectacle as the sun rises or sets over the big blue.

A lovely sandy beach

The sandy beach is really lovely, and local residents come here to swim, play or walk.

The water is 'fresh', in other words quite cool, but many people still go swimming.

One option is to simply walk along the water's edge, or sit in the sand and let the water slowly wash over parts of your body.

You should also be a little wary of currents in these waters. It's best to stay close to shore, or ask locals where it's safe to swim.

We were mostly content to sunbathe, and to cool off in the water's edge. An amazingly beautiful and lovely beach!

Rocks and a small lagoon

There are also lovely rocks to climb around, and a lovely little 'lagoon' with bright green-blue water. Here you can climb down like in a small "bathtub" - most easily with bathing shoes.

A house for many people

Our friends' house, Blue Horizon, has one of the very best locations on this coastal strip. The balcony almost hangs out over the sea, offering a magical view. If the winds are fresh, you can instead hang out at the back, where you get shelter from the wind. We sometimes sunbathed here, and if you want, you can also grill on one of the two barbecue areas.

The house is large, and can be rented by up to nine people at the same time. Upstairs there is a lovely living room, with a fully equipped kitchen.

There is also a master bedroom, with views of the sea in two directions. Falling asleep and waking up with this view is... absolutely unbeatable we can promise.

Downstairs there are three more bedrooms, all with sea views. There are two or three beds in each room, and in total there are nine beds.

The house also has three bathrooms.

Renting a house on the South African coast - good to know

If you'd like to rent this particular house on the South African coast, here's what you need to know:

• Self-catering with a fully equipped kitchen.
• No shops are in the area, so you have to buy everything you need before you go to the house.
• Wifi is available.
• Household staff can be contacted if you need help with laundry or cleaning during your stay, for a fee.
• 10 kilometres of gravel road must be crossed to get to the house.

You can book the house at airbnb - Blue Horizon.

Walking in the neighbourhood

When you "live" in a new place, it is of course interesting to look around the surroundings. We took a walk past the neighbouring houses, many of which are nicely situated, with small walking paths down to the beaches.

Excursions to do in the area

Of course, there are also many excursions to be made in the area. Nearby there is a golf club with a restaurant, and there is also a cheese farm that can be visited. Here are some additional excursions that you can make from Eersterivierstrand:

• Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay - Two holiday resorts with beaches, restaurants and viewpoints.
• Tsitsikamma National Park - A national park with suspension bridges, hiking trails, canoeing and adventurous activities.
• Garden Route - Before or after your visit to Eersterivierstrand, you can drive the entire beautiful and popular 'Garden Route'.

An amazing week in a house on the coast of South Africa

We had an amazing week at our friends' house on the coast of South Africa. First of all, we want to inspire you to travel along this amazing coastline. If it would also suit someone to rent this particular house, we can highly recommend it! Here you can check out Peter's film from the house: