East London, South Africa's only river port, is set on both the broad Buffalo River and Nahoon River with the Gonubie River flowing around it.Map It is also renowned for being the Gateway to The Sunshine Coast and The Wild Coast. East London is a bustling city set in beautiful surroundings with a fantastic coastline, lush gardens and subtropical vegetation which add to the overall beauty of the city. The city is built on key industries such as motor assembly, electronics, textiles, etc. and more recently, tourism. Its sheltered harbour can be seen from the city's two great bridges. East London enjoys a moderate climate, with few extremes in temperature and is generally sunny and pleasant.

Winters usually mild, although snow falls on the mountain ranges of the Cape and Natal and occasionally in the lower-lying areas, when a brief cold spell can be expected throughout the country. Some of the towns attractions include the Calgary Transport Museum, which houses a fine collection of old and very old transport mediums, such as restored horse-drawn carts, wagons, gypsy caravans and a governess carts. Fort Glamorgan which is now a National Monument, was founded in 1848 to provide quarters for the troops. Cove Rock is an impressive and unusual rock formation 16 km from East London and is a great bird watching spot.

The German Settler's Museum commemorates the 1858/9 arrival of more than 2 000 German men, women and children, which helped expand the settlement. And one of the most fascinating attractions are the Nahoon Fossil Prints, on Nahoon beach in Bats Cave, the oldest homo sapien footprints known to science, 200 000 years old! Since 1847, about 150 ships have been wrecked within a five-kilometer radius of the Buffalo Harbour, but the only visible wreck is the "Orient" which can be seen at low tide from Orient Beach. If you'd like to join a diving expedition to explore the shipwrecks off the East London coast, inquire at Pollock's Sports Shop. A certificate of competency is required. As well as diving, East London is a water sport mecca - every imaginable water sport is practised and catered for in the town. It also has other sport facilities, such as tennis, golf, rugby, cricket, hockey and many others. A number of competitions and events take place in East London each year.