The southern gateway to the Garden Route, Mossel Bay was the first landfall made by the Portuguese explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, on the Feast of Blaize, 1488. He named it "Aguada de Sao Bras" (watering place of St Blaize) and during the 15th century the bay became a convenient stop for ships to take on water and victuals. Vasco da Gama visited the bay on his way to India in 1497, and in 1500 one of his successors left a report in a seaman's boot attached to a prominent Milkwood Tree - South Africa's first Post Office!

A freshwater spring, which, for the past 500 years has not run dry flows beneath the tree. On the same site, a stone cross, or "padrao" was donated by the Portuguese Government.
In 1601 the Dutch navigator, Paulus van Caerden, renamed it Mossel Bay, as he found that mussels were a most welcome addition to the diet of his crew. Today, mussels gathered in Mossel Bay each spring are rated by gourmets among the finest in the world.

The mild climate of this popular coastal resort combined with the warm Mozambique current, makes for excellent bathing and surfing at Santos, De Bakke and The Point, which also has a natural bathing pool and excellent rock and surf fishing which is sure to keep the anglers happy.