Fishing in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)

Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) anchors the eastern end of the route with the huge, fish-rich sweep of Algoa Bay. The Swartkops estuary is one of South Africa's great grunter fisheries, also producing kob, garrick and springer along its channels and flats. Beach anglers work Bluewater Bay, Sardinia Bay and the wilder western beaches for kob, steenbras and shad, while rocky venues like Cape Recife and Schoenmakerskop offer bream, blacktail, zebra and galjoen.

Offshore is a different world: charters from the harbour and Noordhoek ski-boat club target reds, kob, geelbek and cracker on the reefs, with yellowtail, katonkel and even tuna in the warmer months. Algoa Bay's islands and wrecks add structure that holds fish year-round.

Best seasons: grunter nearly year-round in the Swartkops; kob and garrick October to April; offshore gamefish December to May. A full-service city — tackle, bait, boats and guides are all on hand.