The village is situated at the southern end of the St. Lucia Estuary and between the Estuary and the Indian Ocean and has most amenities eg; restaurants, bars supermarket, beauty and hair salon, curio shops, internet cafe, bank, chemist, laundries, petrol stations, car hire agent, tour operators, open market, library and a bowling green.
The area is home to hundreds of species of fish, turtles, dolphin and a large migratory population of whales in the warm ocean waters. Massive vegetated sand dunes, grasslands, wetlands and the lake make a diverse area in which live over 1200 hippo, over 2000 crocodiles, over 500 species of birds (including the majestic Fish Eagle, pelican, flamingo, goliath heron, kingfishers, hornbills, and louries). Many species of antelope which include kudu, bushbuck waterbuck, reedbuck and the little red duiker, bushpig and warthogs, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, rhino and leopard to name but a few of a wide variety of fauna and flora.
Link between the uMfolozi and Lake St Lucia system restored after 60 years
In 2011 iSimangaliso publicised its strategy to let the uMfolozi River and Lake St Lucia rejoin in a bid to restore the functioning of South Africa’s largest estuarine system. Since 1952 the uMfolozi River has been deliberately kept separate from the St Lucia system, which has reduced freshwater inflow to the system and interfered with natural mouth dynamics. These factors, combined with below average rainfall conditions during the 2002 – 2010 period, have resulted in the St Lucia estuary mouth remaining closed to the sea for the best part of the last decade. This has meant that St Lucia has not functioned as an estuary and fisheries, such as the inshore line fish and crustacean fisheries, have been heavily impacted.
The relinking of the uMfolozi river back to the St Lucia estuarine lake system is an important first step towards the restoration of estuarine function.
Things to do and places to see:
- Unspoilt beaches
- Snorkelling (at Cape Vidal)
- Fishing – game fishing, surf and rock
- Cruising tours on the lake to spot hippo, crocodiles and birds
- Bird watching
- Horse Trails
- Hiking Trails
- Game Drives
- Night Drives
- Turtle Tours to see turtles nesting or hatching (in season)
- Drive to Cape Vidal (a beautiful unspoilt beach) through a game reserve where you may be lucky enough to spot the resident Rhino and the elusive Leopard, visiting view sites and hippo wallowing in a pond on the way.
- Picnic at Mission Rocks, Cape Vidal or St. Lucia beach.
- Visit the Hluhluwe / Umfolozi Game Reserve (only 50 minutes away) to see the Big 5 for a great day out. Self drive or an organised game tour.
- Play Golf or Tennis at nearby Monzi (15 minutes away)
- Visit Cane Rats Crafts at Monzi too, for a unique shopping experience and tea garden run by the local ladies.
- Bowls at St. Lucia Bowling Club.
- Visit the Crocodile Centre to attend an informative talk on snakes, stroll through their cycad garden and reptile park and watch the crocodiles being fed on a Sunday.
- Whale Watching tours available in season.
- Zulu Cultural tours
- A leisurely drive through the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Western Shores, where you may spot elephant, giraffe, buffalo, & many species of antelope, stopping to enjoy beautiful water birds, stopping for a picnic under magnificent trees and a stroll to the boardwalk to admire the view of the lake.
St. Lucia has a pleasant climate with average temperatures between 15 degress C to 25 degrees C in winter and 24 degrees C to 38 degrees C in summer.
The area provides a unique holiday experience and Fish Eagle Holiday Accommodation, the comfort and amenities of home.
