The Cape Morgan Nature Reserve, part of the greater
East London Coast Nature Reserve, is a coastal forest reserve in the
Wild Coast region of the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
. On its western side, lies the Morgan Bay
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
, while it is flanked on the eastern side by the Cwili estuary. Nearby are the of villages of
Morgan Bay
Morgan Bay is a village in Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The holiday village of Morgan Bay was given its current name in 1822, when it was named after A.F. Morgan, the master of the Barracouta, a sur ...
and
Kei Mouth
Kei Mouth (Afrikaans: ''Keimond'') is a resort town on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated in the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape Province, situated 94 kilometres from the city of East London. The town is situated on the Indian ...
.
Southwest of the reserve is the Morgan Bay beach.
Its shoreline is enclosed by the Kei section of the
Amathole Marine Protected Area.
History
The Cape Morgan Lighthouse was built in 1964 on the reserve, which is one of four lighthouses on the Wild Coast. In August 2020, a draft was prepared to develop accommodation facilities and a parking area for the existing
Eastern Cape Parks' Conference Centre situated in the reserve. The visitor centre is located on the ruins of an old titanium mine.
Activities
Hiking
The Strandloper Hiking Trail starts at the visitor centre.
Swimming
There's a tide pool on the coast of the reserve.
Gallery
File:Morgan Bay Lighthouse - panoramio.jpg, Morgan Bay Lighthouse
See also
*
List of protected areas of South Africa
The protected areas of South Africa include national parks and marine protected areas managed by the national government, public nature reserves managed by provincial and local governments, and private nature reserves managed by private land ...
References
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Nature reserves in South Africa
Eastern Cape Provincial Parks
Tourist attractions in the Eastern Cape