“What’s in a name?”
It’s a 400-year-old question William Shakespeare first posed in Romeo and Juliet, but that’s become a hot topic this year. Because across the Karoo plains and coastal hills of the Eastern Cape, a number of place names have been officially changed, including East London (KuGompo), Barkly East (Ekhephini) and the Kraai River (Tyumbu) Pass. In an election year, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, and it’s nothing new, of course. Grahamstown became Makhanda in 2018, and Gqeberha officially replaced Port Elizabeth in 2021. But do you know about Gxarha?
For the holidaymakers who gear down off the N2 and swing onto the winding R349, the road east and south leads to the same idyllic destination that it has for more than a century: Morgan Bay, officially Gxarha since 2022.
While Gxarha is the isiXhosa name, this little spot between Kei Mouth and Haga Haga owes its English name to AF Morgan, master of the Royal Navy survey ship Barracouta. Back in 1822, his ship was surveying this stretch of coastline and, as one did back then, he simply named it after himself. He even threw in nearby Cape Morgan, too, for good luck. The name stuck, at least on colonial maps, and a century later, farmers inland would trek here with their livestock for winter grazing. Morgan Bay’s reputation as a holiday bolthole had begun.
Today, it’s not hard to see why it retains a sense of timeless charm. From the hilltops, the village tumbles down to the sea in a riot of green, as only the Eastern Cape coast can produce. Aloes and indigenous forest, alive with the trill of birdsong, interspersed with the lovingly tended lawns of the village’s year-round residents. Here, all roads lead to the beach, where a neatly-tended caravan park hugs the Inchara Lagoon, with grassy sites and whispering trees. The bowls club here can get lively, I’m told. Some campers set up for months at a time, soaking up the spray that wafts across the beach to coat their canvas homes in a filigree of salt and sea mist.
But if you’re made of less hardy stuff, a short walk along the beach is where you’ll find more savvy holidaymakers, who have had the foresight and good fortune to book a room at the Morgan Bay Hotel.
The Eastern Cape coastline is littered with old-school seaside hotels, from Crawfords Beach Lodge at Chintsa (or Cintsa, until 2004) to Trennerys Hotel at Qolora Mouth. But it’s Morgan Bay Hotel that has – for the past 80 years – been an anchor of authentic hospitality on this stretch of the Wild Coast.
Wind the clock back to 1946, and Morgan Bay looked a little different when Ivan Warren-Smith stepped off the bus at the beachfront. Fresh out of the army after World War 2, Warren-Smith had heard of a modest boarding house for sale and was looking for a fresh start. He bought it, added guest cottages and expanded.
In 1962, the year his son Jeff joined the business, he created the caravan park. And when electricity arrived in the village in 1975, the hotel’s Fish Eagle Bar was by far the most popular watering hole on this stretch of coast. Holidaymakers returned year after year, becoming an extended family as much as regular guests. Jeff’s son Richard and his wife Jackie took over in 2006 and continued to grow the hotel, revamping rooms and adding a swimming pool.
Today the hotel offers 42 rooms across four categories, with the best offering sea views and private balconies. All are en suite, and some interleading options make life easier for families travelling with children. The Deluxe rooms are the pick of the bunch, but even the more modest categories share the same easy-going seaside appeal.
In 2010, Richard and Jackie added a new restaurant, The Deck, and it’s here I found myself one sunny autumn afternoon, tucking into a towering southern fried chicken burger and making the tough choice between a massage in the Milkwood Spa – another new addition to the hotel – or a lazy walk on the beach that stretches almost all the way to Cape Morgan lighthouse.
Such simple pleasures are what’s kept Morgan Bay a much-loved holiday destination for nearly a century. There’s no shopping mall here. No waterpark rides – except for those in the Indian Ocean or lagoon, of course – and no theme parks promising fleeting thrills soon forgotten. Rather, it’s a place where you’ll spend an hour searching rockpools for ocean critters, or join an impromptu game of touch rugby on the beach at low tide. There’s horse-riding on the beach if you’re adventurous, while afternoons with a book in the upstairs ‘Quiet Room’ are popular with the hotel’s older guests, many of whom have been returning here for decades.
“I first came to Morgan Bay in about 1957, and the hotel has always been the hub of the village,” says guest Peter Perlson, as we chat in the sea-facing lounge. “It was an amazing holiday for kids, and I’ve come back here again and again with my own family. We’d go along to the tidal pool at Black Rocks, or over the krantzes to go searching for beads at Treasure Beach.”
Those carnelian beads, which can still be found today, come from the wreck of the Santo Espirito, a Portuguese ship that ran aground here in 1608. Hunting for beads on the beach, just inside Double Mouth Nature Reserve, is still a popular pastime for visitors. You could drive there from Morgan Bay in 10 minutes, but the more scenic option is the hiking trail that runs along the krantzes. Here, milkwood trees give way to grassy clifftops alive with seabirds, serving up spectacular coastal views. There are rock climbing and abseiling tours on the cliffs below, while out to sea you might spot fishing charters that leave from nearby Kei Mouth.
But I keep my feet on dry land, sticking to the trail as it dodges herds of grazing Nguni cattle. The path runs from grass into mud, dipping into humid yellowwood forests that open out onto shingled shorelines. After an hour’s walk, or twice that if you dally to enjoy the views, you’ll find yourself at Double Mouth and the start of your treasure hunt.
I didn’t find any carnelian beads this time, but that’s no matter. In truth, there’s treasure everywhere you look here, from the quiet beaches and windswept krantzes – with a bench for sundowners – to the warm welcome and cold beer at the Morgan Bay Hotel’s bar. Though the place names may change over time, the feeling of quiet contentment remains.
GETAWAY AT A GLANCE
WHERE IT IS: Morgan Bay Hotel is about 90km northeast of East London, which has the nearest airport.
WHAT IT HAS: The hotel has a mix of hotel rooms, self-catering units and a caravan park, along with a restaurant, bar, pool, spa and direct access to the beach and lagoon.
RATES: From R1,200 per person sharing in a “no-view” room in low season. Check the website for different room rates and specials. morganbayhotel.co.za
WHAT ELSE THERE IS TO DO:
For those looking to explore a little further, Morgan Bay and its surrounds offer a range of outdoor adventures and experiences to enjoy during your stay:
Wild Coast Horse Trails offers guided rides along the beaches, cliffs and river crossings around Morgan Bay, with options for both beginners and experienced riders. See https://wildcoasthorses.com.
Morgan Bay Adventures runs guided rock climbing and abseiling on the surrounding cliffs, along with paintball sessions for those after something more high-energy. See morganbayadventuresptyltd.com.
Siya MTB offers guided tours for mountain bikers and trail runners. Call 063-943-1482 or find them on Facebook.
Great Kei Adventures offers guided experiences including kayaking, fishing and pottery classes, showcasing the natural and creative side of the area. See greatkeiadventures.com.
• Bartlett was a guest of the Morgan Bay Hotel.
