Lookout beach and lagoon mouth – South Africa’s best kept secret

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I have stumbled upon one of the most attractive, yet lesser known settings on the southern coast of Africa and I want to share it with you today. When you discover a beautiful treasure, you can hide it and keep it for yourself, or you can share it with the world so that they also benefit and become uplifted by it. Well today i want to share my bountiful discovery with you, since I have an abundance of it and I wish you all could be as happy and well situated as I am.

Low tide on the lagoon at Lookout beach with the town of Plettenberg Bay in the background

This region of the African southernmost coastline is called the Garden Route. It is perhaps the most beautiful part of southern Africa. And the crown gem of the entire Garden Route is the dazzling holiday town called Plettenberg Bay. I have shared some of the other epic facets of this multi-faceted gem of a town with you in previous posts, but today I want to show you the section called Lookout beach.

Low tide revealing the lagoon bed with its interesting facets

This stretch of the Plett coastline is easy to access by car, as the road drives right up to the beach sand. You can park your car and walk right onto the pure white soft beach sand that leads to the warm Indian ocean. Once on Lookout beach, you will also see the adjoining lagoon, which is the final arrival place for the twin rivers, namely the Bitou river and the Keurbooms river. They both flow into this lagoon, and once there, their waters eventually flow right out via the lagoon mouth, into the Indian ocean.

Indigenous Fynbos floral species on the dune between the sea and the lagoon

Today my inspection of the lagoon shows that it is a particularly low tide, so the water has receded and exposed much of the sand beneath. It is generally a shallow lagoon, which acts as a river mouth delta before the waters flow out to sea. As a result the effects of the sea tides also affect the lagoon. When it’s low tide the river water flows out to sea, revealing the sand banks below. But when it’s high tide the sea water washes in and pushes quite a way upstream, also filling the lagoon.

Further fascinating revelations of the rippled lagoon bed at low tide

You can even occasionally come across seals that swim in from the sea and wade about in the lagoon, which is then a mix of salty sea water and fresh river water from the mountains nearby. The mouth of this lagoon is too wide to cross on foot, and even when it shrinks at low tide, it still remains a deep and swift flowing channel. Sharks also like to roam around the lagoon mouth sometimes apparently, so it’s probably not a good idea to swim at the mouth. You could also get easily swept out to sea on the strong currents. I’ve never seen anyone try to cross the mouth of the lagoon as it enters the sea.

Such a bright clear landscape is seriously uplifting for the mood

Surfers, on the other hand, enjoy a good wave at Lookout beach, a little way away from the actual mouth so there is plenty of opportunity for water sports. Others in canoes or kayaks also enjoy paddling around on the lagoon and can even paddle out of the mouth and into the sea with relative ease when conditions allow. I have taken a canoe and paddled about on the lagoon on occasion and even right up river into the narrow river gorge. Now that is a paradise of a place definitely to be explored.

A closer look at the lagoon water

Fishermen also occasionally throw their line out to sea or drop a line from their canoe on the lagoon itself. And I also sometimes see standing board paddlers who make it look so easy to stand up on their wide boards and paddle about on the lagoon with ease. On a windy day you might also see kite surfers harnessed to their massive kites which pull them along the lagoon surface as they stand on a little surf board attached to their feet.

Epic sun reflections on the rippled lagoon bed with the Tsitsikamma mountain range in the background

In other words this lesser known Lookout beach and lagoon are a wonderland for water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers who appreciate the outdoors. And the climate and conditions are fine all year long, thanks to the mild weather found here in this temperate zone around 34 degrees south latitude.

Lagoon with the town of Plettenberg Bay in the background

Lookout beach with lagoon to the right and sea off left

Well, the secret is out so now you know where to find the most prized gem of a tourist destination and holiday resort any time of the year. Feel free to swing on by. The currency exchange rate really facilitates a reasonably inexpensive outdoor adventure tour or a simple seaside holiday retreat for the whole family. Get your flights booked and hop on over. You can thank me later.

The lagoon mouth as it flows out to the Indian ocean at Lookout beach

(photos my own)

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