Kidds Beach: is a small village close to East London, South Africa. It was named after the first European to settle there, a seaman named Kidd.
where the waterworld complex offers swimming, sailing, water-skiing, boardsailing and boating. One would be remiss for not mentioning Gonubie beach, for although not a local beach, it's proximity to East London (it's just 25 kilometres north of the city at the mouth of the Gonubie River) and its blue flag status make it a 'must' to visit. The beach not only has a wonderful boardwalk that provides fantastic views across the sea, but the river mouth provides hours of beachcombing, man-made tidal pools and abundant vegetation.

Eastern beach: which lies just past the aquarium opposite Marina Glen, is not only one of the city's most central beaches, it's one of the most popular as well and includes changing rooms, take-away options and glorious seas, great sand and 'epic' waves for surfers - although rather dependent on the sand banks, which build up off boulders and pebbles along the shore. Be warned that Eastern Beach is one of 'the' beaches come New Year's Eve and some 400 000 people can descend on the shore.

Nahoon beach: is a surfer's and swimmer's paradise and is arguably East London's most popular beach - we're talking kilometres of (mostly) uncrowded and unpolluted sand and sea that produces some of the best waves, particularly at the famous Nahoon reef where surfing can be fairly tough, hence its having served as a venue for many of the national surfing competitions. The Nahoon River mouth is not only a favourite haunt amongst fishermen and safe swimming for those a little afraid of the pounding surf, but it also provides access upstream at low tide.

Igoda Beach: is a great wide open beach with well-forested sand dunes and a river that provides safe bathing. Access from the little village of Winterstrand provides safe parking and it's a lovely place for a picnic. The road to Igoda runs alongside a nature reserve, so combining a beach morning with a late afternoon stroll through the many flowering plants in late spring and early summer is a worthwhile pastime.

Although Gulu Beach: is essentially frequented by recreational anglers, it makes for a wonderful day trip during summer, when the wide open beach at the seaward end of the Gulu River offers safe swimming conditions with life guards. It's a beautiful beach that isn't very popular, so you're almost guaranteed of undisturbed beach time.