Accommodation

Accommodation

Sugarloaf is a unique accommodation establishment that has evolved from a seaside family holiday home into a backpackers lodge. The main building …

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Sugarloaf Restaurant & Bar

Sugarloaf Restaurant & Bar

What started off as a small kitchen that soon turned into a special little restaurant where simple food is made good. Our establishment has a …

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Wake up to the sound of waves breaking on Coffee Bay beach, fall asleep with the lullaby of the Transkei

Welcome to Sugarloaf backpackers, situated in the beautiful Coffee Bay at the heart of the Wild Coast.

Sugarloaf overlooks the Mnenga River mouth, opening on to Coffee Bay’s main beach just a short walk from our door. If you are looking for a traditional South African experience let us welcome you to our family and show you how to make the most of your time here, whether you are looking to surf the waves, hike the cliff tops or just chill out on the beach, we will make your experience as unforgettable as the Transkei.

Join us in our Tokoloshe bar for cocktails or traditional beer and watch the sunset around our fire pit to the sound of traditional drumming and local fire dancing while local caught crayfish cook on the braai. Our accommodation caters to all, including comfortable safari tents, dormitories and private en-suite huts.

Close to the beach 1min walk
River We are alongside the River mouth
Parking Enough for 15 cars
Pet Friendly Yes, we have 4 dogs, 2 Dragons & 1 fat Cat
Self Catering Kitchen Yes, with all the basics
Deep Freezer and Fridges Yes, and even one for Bait
Laundry Yes at R50 a load
DSTV For those cant miss moments
Pool Table Challenge the Sugarloaf top player
Ping Pong See if you can beat the champ
Slack Line Try out balance yourself 😉
Board Rentals For beginners and intermediate
Fire Pit and Braai area Bring Chops
Books and puzzles/games See who's the best
Shuttle We don't have, but can arrange
No WiFi We dont have WiFi 🙁 but want it
No own Alcohol We have a licenced Bar

Coffee Bay is a small rural village on the Wild Coast not far from Mthatha

  • No ATM’s,  Please be sure to draw cash before you travel, the nearest ATM is 20km away.
  • Card payments are accepted by Sugarloaf backpackers! 🙂
  • No convenience stores, only basic 'spaza shops - the closest store is 20km away. Be sure to bring everything you need.
  • This is the wild coast; please adhere to tidal times when visiting the beach and dress appropriately, the weather can be changeable, hiking boots for walking are strongly advised.
  • Don't Follow the GPS - especially when travelling from Durban or Drakensburg, the GPS will take you on a wild detour.
  • Transkei Traffic - This is a place where you will find cows at petrol stations and pigs holding up buses. Please use extra caution when travelling around Coffee Bay, especially when driving at night - the roads are unpredictable and at times not tarred and the traffic is wild, quite literally.
As beautiful as the wildlife in Coffee Bay can be, it can also be dangerous, please remember to be alert for snakes when walking through long grass, as well as for sea urchins when playing in rock pools.
There are some Spaza shops that will sell cigarettes, toilet paper, kg sacks of potatoes, tinned foods, sodas, chips, sweets and the likes. The nearest wholesale / grocery store is in Ncqwanguba which is 18km outside of Coffee Bay. If you really want the luxury goods, you will need to stock up in Mqanduli at the little shopping center there.

For more information about Coffee Bay, Visit this cool website.

The Wild Coast is a stretch of South Africa's East coast between East London and Durban. This area is known as the Transkei as is an authentic piece of South African culture. Coffee Bay is a small traditional village located 250km from Durban on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape Province.

A ship containing coffee beans ran aground on the beach, spilling its contents along the shore. While there are no coffee trees here now, the name stuck. Instead the coast is lined with wild aloe vera, used by the local Xhosa people. Our small community of around 300 people which includes local people and those who have adopted the land as their home. The rural nature of Coffee Bay is what gives it its unique and relaxing vibe, with unspoiled coastal routes and warm weather all year round.
Every year thousands of visitors come to the Transkei to experience the warm waters, perfect for surfing, swimming and fishing and exploring the beautiful coastal hikes, cliff diving and local village life.
Between May and July, which is the South African winter - Coffee Bay is gripped by the Sardine Run. Shoals of sardines arrive along the coast, bringing with them a vast array of nature including the seabirds that give the sardine run a surface vibrance and beneath the water there is a variety of fish, dolphins and whales. The action is something phenomenal, the sardine run shows you how truly alive the ocean is and you can watch all of this from Sugarloaf’s chill spot in the front of our garden.

Stay 5 Nights and the next is Free

We value guest that stay with us over long periods and offer this token to say thanks. Seasonal times do not apply.

History of the Transkei

During the South African Apartheid regime, the Transkei was declared a 'country of its own', a homeland to the Xhosa…

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