We spent two nights in the remarkable wetland region of St Lucia, one of South Africa’s great natural treasures and a place I had wanted to visit for many years. Renowned for its huge hippo population, rich birdlife, estuary and coastal wilderness, it more than lived up to expectations. For us, it was a wonderful mix of wildlife, beautiful scenery, and the relaxed atmosphere of a small town built around one of Africa’s most extraordinary natural environments.
Map of places visited
St Lucia estuary boardwalk and beach
The first thing we did was head to the estuary boardwalk for a walk through the wetlands.The highlight was seeing an African fish eagle soaring overhead — always such a magnificent and unmistakable sight. Afterwards, we drove to the nearby beach for a swim, enjoying the warm Indian Ocean and the relaxed coastal atmosphere.
Boat trip
In the afternoon, we went on a sunset boat trip on the estuary. Choosing a smaller, more intimate boat turned out to be a fantastic decision and made the whole experience feel far more personal and relaxed. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. We saw hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards and kingfishers at close range, while our guide, Heynie, was both highly knowledgeable and wonderfully entertaining throughout. The standout moment was an incredible close-up sighting of an African finfoot — a bird that is usually extremely secretive and difficult to see.
As the trip drew to a close, the estuary was bathed in the most beautiful golden light. Watching a sublime African sunset with hippos silhouetted in the foreground was one of those unforgettable moments that perfectly captured the magic of St Lucia.
Cape Vidal beach
During our full day in St Lucia, we drove through the beautiful iSimangaliso Wetland Park to Cape Vidal. There was a run taking place through the park that day, so we left a little later than planned and had great fun shouting encouragement to some of the tail-end runners from the car as we drove along. The drive itself was wonderful, passing through lush coastal bush and wetland scenery with plenty of wildlife along the way. At Cape Vidal, we had a lovely swim in the warm, clear water and spent time soaking up the spectacular coastal setting.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
iSimangaliso Wetland Park is an enormous protected coastal wilderness area made up of wetlands, estuaries, lakes, coastal forest and beaches. As we drove through the park, we took a number of detours to explore different sections, stopping often to admire the expansive views across the pans and estuaries. The scenery was remarkably beautiful, with wide open wetlands, calm water, reed beds and coastal vegetation stretching in every direction. It was easy to see why the area is regarded as one of South Africa’s great natural treasures.
Mission Rocks
On the way back, we stopped at Mission Rocks, a beautiful stretch of rugged coastline within iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The combination of rocky shoreline, rolling surf and unspoilt coastal scenery made it a wonderful place to pause and take in the wild beauty of the area before heading back to St Lucia.
