PE’s Ibhayi Sunshine Saunter is a collection of stunning beaches, restaurants, countryside drives and activities all within 45 minutes of Port Elizabeth’s city centre.

On a lovely sunny Sunday, we chose to explore some dog-friendly outdoor activities – starting with the Sacramento hiking trail, enjoying beautiful Sardinia Bay beach and ending off with lunch at The Boma Country Restaurant.

As we approached the sleepy seaside town of Schoenmakerskop an ominous grey-purple cloud of sea fog engulfed us, dropping the mercury and blocking the sunshine. We were thankful for the lower temperature as we set out on the coastal walk. The trail is extremely popular, especially for dog lovers and we walked alongside lots of other families with their furry friends.

The Sacramento trail is about 8km long, starting in Schoenmakerskop and ending at Sardinia Bay (affectionately known as “Sards” by the locals). Ideally we would have walked the entire trail, ending off at the beach, but as we drove ourselves, we wanted to avoid the return trek, so walked part way along the trail and headed back to the car, before driving to Sards.

Having worked up an appetite, we headed straight for Gunter’s iconic Wurst Wagen, and enjoyed a Dutch croquette, followed by a sublime “Ital” ice cream cone. Nothing like street food to fill the gap!

On Sards beach, we turned right and walked about a kilometre up the beach towards the point known as “Duck Pond”. It is surrounded by a rock reef and as calm and tranquil as a tropical island beach. The kids snorkelled and fed the fish with barnacles picked off the rocks while we lapped up the sun.

A trek back over the rather large sand dune to the parking lot meant that we had worked off all our street food (or so I like to think), so we headed up Sardinia Bay Road to The Boma Country Restaurant.

Dogs are welcome at The Boma, and Sheppie was delighted to be greeted with a bowl of fresh water and a cow hoof for him to chew while we ate. We enjoyed delicious pizzas and burgers, and while the food was not the quickest to arrive, it was truly delicious!

All in all a perfect Sunday family outing, which gets the thumbs up from the Dirsuwei family!

Fact Sheet

Wurst Wagen & Ital Ice Cream
In Sardinia Bay beach parking lot on weekends, public holidays and school holidays

The Boma Country Restaurant
www.peboma.co.za
Open Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays from 10am-4pm. Dogs on leashes are welcome. The menu includes breakfast, lunch and teatime options as well as a kids menu. There is also a lovely play area for children.

Sunshine Saunter maps are available at all tourist info locations. For further info email Jan at saunter@telkomsa.net