{"schema_version":1,"title":"Mossel Bay","type":"portabout","url":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/","collected":"2026-10-18","alternates":{"markdown":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/index.md","json":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/index.json"},"data":{"portPath":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay","country":"South Africa","guidance":[],"months":[{"value":"2026-11","path":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/timetable/2026-11"},{"value":"2026-12","path":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/timetable/2026-12"},{"value":"2027-01","path":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/timetable/2027-01"}],"totalCalls":5,"aliases":[],"month":"2026-11","page":1,"rows":[{"date":"2026-11-17","ship":"Hanseatic Spirit","arrival":"08:00","departure":"14:00","departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/hapag-lloyd-cruises/hanseatic-spirit","voyages":[{"url":"/v/hapag-lloyd-cruises/hanseatic-spirit/20261115-20261203/","label":"18 nights \u00b7 Cape Town to Port Louis \u00b7 2026-11-15"}],"anchor":"call-9ba3f7155fd9aa35"},{"date":"2026-11-20","ship":"ms Europa 2","arrival":"09:00","departure":"17:00","departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/hapag-lloyd-cruises/ms-europa-2","voyages":[{"url":"/v/hapag-lloyd-cruises/ms-europa-2/20261118-20261204/","label":"16 nights \u00b7 Cape Town to Port Louis \u00b7 2026-11-18"}],"anchor":"call-876c2d533635dadb"}],"rowStart":1,"rowEnd":2,"monthTotal":2,"pagination":[{"number":1,"path":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/timetable/2026-11"}],"timetablepath":"/p/south-africa/mossel-bay/timetable/2026-11","about":{"currency":"ZAR","currencyurl":"https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=ZAR","portmap":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-34.1769886652878,22.1438884735107","facts":[["Getting ashore","Anchor, then transfer to new facility"],["Into town","Walk or taxi, distance not sourced"],["Best starting point","Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex"],["Currency","South African rand \u00b7 ZAR"]],"sections":[["Getting ashore","Ships now often anchor in the bay, and passengers transfer through a new Cruise Reception Facility, which opened on 13 November 2025. The facility sits next to the quay and provides shelter, processing areas and basic services. Its first user was the SH Diana. Older information says ships dock close to the centre and larger ships tender, but the newer arrangement is used here, so ask the cruise line whether your ship anchors or berths and which transfer applies to your call. The tender and gangway details for the new facility are not yet clear, so ask how guests reach the shore from the anchor. The calendar lists Hanseatic Spirit on 17 November 2026, arriving at 08:00 and leaving at 14:00, and ms Europa 2 on 20 November 2026, arriving at 09:00 and leaving at 17:00. Confirm these with the cruise line, and allow time for the transfer, which may add to your time ashore."],["For walkers and architecture fans","The Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex is the main attraction. It keeps most of the surviving old buildings, the spring from which Dias refilled his water, and the post office tree, a milkwood where passing captains left letters in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Visitors can still post a letter in a small box beside the tree, as long as it is nothing urgent. The museum is open 09:00 to 16:45 on weekdays and 09:00 to 15:45 at weekends, with a replica ship available for an extra fee. Cape St Blaize Lighthouse and its cave sit above the town, and the town centre is easy to walk around."],["For nature and outdoor fans","The Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay to around Storms River Mouth. Its name can mislead, because the region is dense forest with fynbos and hardwood trees rather than gardens. Activities range from whale watching and sea kayaking to forest canopy walks and bungee jumping. Seal Island boat trips leave from the harbour, but prices and timings are not known, so check them locally. Pinnacle Point, an archaeological site, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ask the ship's excursion desk for timing and transport."],["For shoppers","Mossel Bay has a few one-stop shopping malls with boutiques, specialty shops and curio shops. The Model Shipyard lets visitors tour the workshop where ship models are built, and the models can be bought and shipped by DHL anywhere in the world. A craft shop beside the Tourist Information office sells handmade local goods, and Hartenbos Beach has a market. Shopping hours were last reported in 2024 as 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 09:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays, with malls often open until 21:00. Shops and tours may close or change hours on public holidays, which include 1 January, 21 March, the Easter weekend, 27 April, 1 May, 16 June, 9 August, 24 September, 16, 25 and 26 December."],["Getting around and money","Mossel Bay is on the N2 Garden Route, about 400 km east of Cape Town and about 400 km west of Port Elizabeth. George Airport is about 40 km east of the town centre, with scheduled flights to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. From George, a minibus costs R15 to Thembalethu, then R40 to Langeberg Mall or R55 to the city centre, fares that were updated in November 2025. Minibus taxis leave from the rank at the corner of R102 and Mossel Street, and a car is advised for outlying sights and restaurants. The currency is the rand (ZAR). ATMs are common, but use only those inside a mall or other building, cover your PIN, and watch for card-swallowing scams. Most retail stores accept credit cards. South Africa has 11 official languages, and most people speak English, with Afrikaans also widely spoken."]],"access":"The sources read do not describe step-free access to the Cruise Reception Facility or to the tender, so ask the operator about the transfer and any support for guests with limited mobility. The town centre is walkable, but Wikivoyage recommends a car for outlying sights, so plan accessible transport for those trips.","links":[{"label":"WhatsInPort port guide (2024 archive)","url":"https://www.whatsinport.com/Mossel-Bay.htm","detail":"Archived port guide, dated 2024"},{"label":"Mossel Bay on CruiseMapper","url":"https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/mossel-bay-port-914?tab=wiki","detail":"Port wiki, terminal opening and calendar"},{"label":"Convert rand to your currency","url":"https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=ZAR","detail":"Daily reference rates","currency":"ZAR"}],"maps":[{"label":"Mossel Bay harbour on Google Maps","url":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-34.1769886652878,22.1438884735107","detail":"Harbour coordinates from the archive"},{"label":"Mossel Bay on Wikivoyage","url":"https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mossel_Bay","detail":"Town guide with transport and sights"}]}}}