A beautiful coastal gem, that previously was alluded to as a quaint coastal town, St Francis has steadily been capturing holiday makers and permanent residents’ attention, given that it has so much to offer with regards lifestyle, choice of property offerings, water activities and of course exceptional natural beauty.
Many people only associate St Francis with surfing when the village was placed firmly on the international surfing map by a Canadian movie maker, Bruce Brown. Brown filmed the wave today know as Bruce’s Beauties, in classic form. When his movie, Endless Summer was released in 1965, surfers from all over the world flocked to ride the famous wave, and today St Francis, together with Jeffreys Bay, is the highlight of any African “surfari".
However, this area certainly has more than just surfing and encompasses many stand out features. There is the privately owned working harbour – Port St Francis - which has beautiful apartments, restaurants, retail outlets and is also home to a squid, hake and pilchard fleet. Private yachts and deep-sea fishing boats also have access to the ocean from the recreational bay area. It also has a man-made canal system that holds highly sought after waterside residences. Strict building codes, white painted houses with black (initially thatch) rooves, were laid down at this time which formed the backbone of the style now followed in the town today. An exception to this is the area known as Santareme, which has a Mediterranean styled architecture due to the Portuguese sailor who sighted this coastal stretch in 1575. There is also the Irma Booysen Floral Reserve, home to many species of flowers and plants, and a lighthouse built in 1878 which still functions today, at Cape St Francis that is located on the headland. Cape St Francis also is a popular surfing area and boasts beautiful clean beaches.
Encompassing several distinctive areas that the locals refer to as “The Bay”, “ The Links”, The Kromme River”, “The Port” “The Canals” and “The Cape” this coastal town offers a great variety of choice. Added to all this is a year round schedule of events and happenings that include a PGA golf tournament, a Calamari Festival, the Wine on Water, hosted by the Rotary Club that includes many wine estates hosting wine tasting on The Canals, and of course the popular St Francis Flash Float, a popular family event held in the beginning of January as well as many community projects.
With a reputation for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, spectacular scenery and a choice of walking, golf, swimming, fishing, surfing and many more leisure options, you will be hard pressed to find a better coastal town for either holiday or everyday enjoyment.
If you would like to invest in St Francis speak to our Local Real Estate team.
Contact Kerry Dickinson on 082 553 7188 or kerry.d@localrealestate