Natural landmark
Hole in the Wall
Coffee Bay · Wild Coast
The Wild Coast's most recognisable landmark: a detached cliff standing offshore with a wave-cut arch punched clean through it, about 9km from Coffee Bay.
About Hole in the Wall
The isiXhosa name for the site is esiKhaleni, 'the place of sound', after the noise the swell makes as it forces through the opening. The rock is a hard sandstone and dolerite headland that the sea has cut off from the mainland over time.
It sits at the mouth of the Mpako River in the hills south of Coffee Bay. Most visitors either drive the gravel road in from Coffee Bay or walk the coastal path, which is one of the best short hikes on the Wild Coast.
What to expect
- A short coastal walk from Coffee Bay, or a gravel-road drive suitable in dry weather
- Green hills, grazing cattle and homesteads on the way in
- Best light and swell in the morning; the surge through the arch is loudest at high tide
- Very limited services at the site itself — bring water
Activities
Coastal hikingPhotographySwimming at nearby beaches
