Location

Eastern Cape; astride the Mtata River on the N2 national highway north-east of East London.

Principal town of the now-defunct ‘independent republic' of Transkei, Umtata is a busy centre in the middle of rolling, grass-covered uplands dotted with Xhosa homesteads. In itself it has few tourist drawcards, but it does serve as a convenient base for trips to the scenically magnificent Wild Coast, its resorts and reserves.

The central area forms a grid pattern, the streets lined with unremarkable edifices dating from the 1970s (when independence was conferred), though the parliament building and the graceful sandstone cathedral are older. The town has three hotels and guest-house accommodation. The local airport has had its problems.

Highlights

The Transkei region can be explored from Umtata; prime destinations include the unusual Hole-in-the-Wall, a massive detached coastal cliff through whose arched opening the ocean thunders; the nearby Dwesa and Cwebe Nature Reserves (evergreen forest, grasslands, superbly rugged shoreline, prolific bird life); Port St Johns, something of a subtropical paradise in a stunning setting at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River, and the Mkambati Nature Reserve, further north and fairly close to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border. The route from Umtata to Port St Johns is scenic delight.

Nearest Towns

East London; Port St Johns; Kokstad.

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UMTATA

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