The Golden Mile (or, colloquially, "The Mile") is the popular stretch of

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

front in the city of

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, including the

promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...

that runs along with it. It runs roughly from uShaka Beach (where the

uShaka Marine World uShaka Marine World is a theme park that opened on 30 April 2004 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It has a total capacity of 4.6 million gallons containing 10,000 animal species. History Designed by American firm Creative Kingdom ...

is located) in Point Waterfront to

Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World Suncoast Casino, Hotels and Entertainment is an entertainment complex situated at the northern end of Durban's Golden Mile, adjacent to the Kings Park Sporting Precinct. Besides the casino, the complex houses many restaurants, a beach bar, ...

in the north and now includes a route directly to Moses Mabhida Stadium. It abuts the central business district of the city to its west. It is one of the main tourist attractions in the Durban area. The wide stretch of golden sands, artificially separated by various

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

, provides opportunities for sun-worshippers and swimmers to enjoy the sub-tropical sunshine and warm waters of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. Common activities include swimming, surfing and fishing. Most of the Mile's beaches are protected year-round by

lifeguards A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

and

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

nets. The Mile is also a well-known surfer's haven. The South Beach end, in particular, is well known as a safe beach for neophyte surfers. The beachfront properties are a mix of residential

apartments An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement (Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that ...

and tourist

hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...

, development of which boomed in the 1970s, although remnants of Durban's

art-deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920s to early 1930s, ...

architecture are still evident. Interspersed among the beachfront properties are several popular restaurants and nightclubs. The Golden Mile has long been a popular domestic holiday destination and during the holiday seasons (June–July and December–January) South Africans from across the country, but in particular the

Gauteng Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana languages, Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts f ...

region, flock to enjoy its attractions and those of the longer beachfront area, which include: * Blue Lagoon, a popular hangout, picnic and fishing spot *''Mini Town'' with a miniature replica of Durban, complete with a working miniature railway and airport. *

Moses Mabhida Stadium The Moses Mabhida Stadium is a association football, soccer stadium in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, named after Moses Mabhida, a former general secretary of the South African Communist Party. A multi-use stadium, it bec ...

*Traditional market vendors and other hawkers with a selection of Zulu art and crafts. *An

oceanway A greenway is usually a shared-use path along a strip of undeveloped land, in an urban or rural area, set aside for recreational use or environmental protection. Greenways are frequently created out of disused railways, canal towpaths, utility ...

pavement along the beaches to encourage more people to enjoy walking and cycling. *

, a casino complex with a semi-private beach, restaurants, shops and public entertainment facilities. *

aquarium, water park, dolphinarium, containing a restaurant with the largest shark tank in the world. * North Beach, Dairy Beach, the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

, Snake Park, Pirates and Country Club beaches are popular

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

beaches separated by the piers. *The Skate Park in front of the Bay of Plenty caters for skateboarders, roller bladers and BMX'ers. *The Surfing Museum, a historical site cataloguing some of Durban's surfing history. The street that runs alongside the Golden Mile is divided between Snell Parade in the north, O.R. Tambo Parade (formerly named, and still widely referred to, as Marine Parade) and Erskine Terrace in the south.

See also