The beacon, South Africa
Also within 20 km of Gqeberha
- Port Elizabeth Kite spot · 1.7 km from Gqeberha
- Fence Surf spot · 2.4 km from Gqeberha
- King's Beach Surf spot · 2.7 km from Gqeberha
- Denville Surf spot · 3.3 km from Gqeberha
- Humewood Surf spot · 3.5 km from Gqeberha
- 6 pillars Surf spot · 3.9 km from Gqeberha
- New Pier Surf spot · 4.2 km from Gqeberha
- Pier Surf spot · 4.2 km from Gqeberha
Watch this spot We email you when The beacon is worth the trip.
About The beacon
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces E (88°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (268°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 70). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 17°C in June, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 20°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Gqeberha, 7 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 14 surf spots.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 30 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PLZ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
See flights MDW → PLZ · Skyscanner from about £790 returnAdGetting there. 25 min from the airport to The beacon.
Accommodation.
Stay in GqeberhaAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Gqeberha (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Gqeberha 12 min by car · rooms from £40 a night · 86 places to stay · where The beacon stays
Places to stay in Gqeberha · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Gqeberha · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Gqeberha · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
The beacon on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft8 ssoft | 582kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 10 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 28, poor | 4 ft9 ssoft | 297kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 19 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 30, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 196kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 11, poor | 5 ft8 ssoft | 273kJ | wind from the north-west, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 27, poor | 4 ft8 ssoft | 228kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 18 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft8 ssoft | 810kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 9 knots | 18°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 31, poor | 4 ft8 ssoft | 229kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 17, too small | 2 ft7 smushy | 41kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 8 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft8 ssoft | 51kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 13 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 11, too small | 3 ft5 smushy | 47kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 19°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to PLZ, changing at ATL and CPT, then 25 min by road. About 30h 20 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf The beacon
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Fence
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 5 kn (8 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf King's Beach
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Noncom
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to PLZ, changing at ATL and CPT, then 25 min by road. About 30h 20 door to door
The plan picks the best of 18 spots near Gqeberha each day: 6 pillars, Avalanche, Baked Beans, Denville, Fence, Flat Rocks, Humewood, King's Beach, Loch Ness, Millars Point, New Pier, Noncom, Noordhoek, Pier, Pollock Beach, Pollock beach - pipe, Rocky"s, The beacon.
Rough cost
About £1,115–£2,210 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to PLZ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and CPT, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £790–£1,645 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £110–£185 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £115–£210 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £50–£80 |
| Total | £1,115–£2,210 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Gqeberha
- Hungry Lion Mbeki Avenue 1Chicken · 0.3 km from the centre
- McDonald's Gqeberha CBDBurger · 0.3 km from the centre
- Hungry Lion Mbeki Avenue 2Chicken · 0.4 km from the centre
- Thats FishyFish and chips · 0.4 km from the centre
- Zebro'sChicken · 0.4 km from the centre
- Kindred KitchenVegan · 0.6 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.