St Francis Bay

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Use South African English|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox settlement | name = St Francis Bay | native_name = St Francisbaai | image_skyline = Luchtfoto St Francisbaai.jpg | image_caption = Aerial photo of St Francis Bay | pushpin_map = South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa#Africa | coordinates = {{coord|34.162|S|24.830|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = [[Country]] | subdivision_name = [[South Africa]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of South Africa|Province]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Eastern Cape]] | subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of South Africa|District]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Sarah Baartman District Municipality|Sarah Baartman]] | subdivision_type3 = [[List of municipalities of South Africa|Municipality]] | subdivision_name3 = [[Kouga Local Municipality|Kouga]] | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | leader_party = DA | leader_title = Councillor | leader_name = Lorraine Maree<ref>[https://www.kouga.gov.za/content/ward-councillors-230 Ward Councillors - Ward 12]</ref> | area_footnotes = <ref name="census2011">{{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/268011 |title = Main Place St Francis Bay |work=Census 2011}} </ref> | area_total_km2 = 10.04 | population_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" /> | population_total = 4933 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" /> | demographics1_title1 = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]] | demographics1_info1 = 51.2% | demographics1_title2 = [[Coloureds|Coloured]] | demographics1_info2 = 21.7% | demographics1_title3 = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]] | demographics1_info3 = 0.2% | demographics1_title4 = [[White South African|White]] | demographics1_info4 = 26.1% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 0.8% | demographics_type2 = [[First language]]s (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" /> | demographics2_title1 = [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] | demographics2_info1 = 39.4% | demographics2_title2 = [[Afrikaans]] | demographics2_info2 = 32.7% | demographics2_title3 = [[South African English|English]] | demographics2_info3 = 21.7% | demographics2_title4 = [[Zulu language|Zulu]] | demographics2_info4 = 1.2% | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 4.9%  | timezone1 = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]] | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street) | postal_code = 6312 | postal2_code_type = [[Post-office box|PO box]] | postal2_code = 6312 | area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]] }} '''St Francis Bay''' ({{langx|af|St Francisbaai}}) is a holiday town in [[Sarah Baartman District Municipality]] in the [[Eastern Cape]] province of [[South Africa]], roughly one hour’s drive from [[Gqeberha]]. ==History== ===Early history=== The town's earliest European history of the area can be traced back to 1488 when [[Bartolomeu Dias]] named the bay ''Golfo dos Pastores'', although the bay was also known as ''Golfo dos Vaqueiros''.

The town's current name is derived from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''Bahia de Sâo Francisco'' given in 1575 by Manuel Perestrelo to what is today St Francis Bay and [[Jeffreys Bay]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Raper |first=P.E. |title=Dictionary of Southern African Place Names |year=1989 |pages=394}}</ref>

===Recent History=== [[File:St Francis Bay Fire -005.jpg|thumb|left|Fire damaged buildings]] On 11 November 2012 a [[Wild fire|fire]] destroyed 76 homes in St Francis Bay, almost all of them [[thatched roof]]ed.<ref>{{cite news|title=76 homes destroyed by St Francis Bay fire|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/76-homes-destroyed-by-St-Francis-Bay-fire-20121112|newspaper=News24|date=12 November 2012}}</ref>

==Architecture== [[File:South Africa-St Francis-canals01.jpg|thumb|The canals of St Francis Bay.]] The building style of the village section of St Francis Bay includes white painted houses with black roofs (mostly thatch) on the canals or around the golf course, or a Mediterranean building style in Santareme and Port St Francis. The [[Kromme River]] is navigable for 14 km upstream, and is linked to the St Francis canal system.

==Tourism== Whales can be spotted in the Bay from May to late October and dolphins can be seen daily on their way back and forth between the bays of [[Cape St Francis]] and [[Jeffrey’s Bay]]. The [[Cape clawless otter]] is present in the waves and rock pools around Port St Francis and at Otters Landing. Bird life is abundant with over 200 species recorded in the area including the rare [[African oystercatcher]] and [[African fish eagle|fish eagle]].

Port St Francis includes a commercial and recreational harbour, built to host the squid industry freezing vessels, as well as a small harbour resort village. It lies in a sheltered nook of the bay and provides safe anchorage for the boats, pleasure craft, and oceangoing yachts. St Francis Field is an airpark close to the Port that caters for those who wish to fly in.

Cape St Francis, a rustic fishing village, sits adjacent to St Francis Bay and is popular for surfing at Seal Point, a stretch of beach in St Francis Bay, and the historic lighthouse, built in 1878. Walking trails winding along the rocky coast, through the Irma Booysen Floral Reserve, and along the Cape St Francis point, links it to the village of St Francis Bay.

Cape St Francis is 8 km from [[Thyspunt, Eastern Cape|Thyspunt]], which was a preferred site for South Africa's next nuclear power station. A township known as Sea Visa is where most of the black Africans and coloured people live.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nuclear 1 - Transmission - Thyspunt|url=http://www.eskom.co.za/OurCompany/SustainableDevelopment/EnvironmentalImpactAssessments/Pages/Thuyspunt.aspx|accessdate=3 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Thyspunt is a prime candidate for a nuclear site – Dr Kelvin Kemm|date=March 2015 |url=http://stfrancischronicle.com/2015/03/01/thyspunt-is-a-prime-candidate-for-a-nuclear-site-dr-kelvin-kemm/|accessdate=3 June 2015}}</ref>

==Climate==

{{Weather box|width=auto |metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = [[Cape St. Francis]] (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–2001) |Jan record high C = 31.2 |Feb record high C = 31.4 |Mar record high C = 31.0 |Apr record high C = 30.7 |May record high C = 32.0 |Jun record high C = 30.5 |Jul record high C = 30.7 |Aug record high C = 30.0 |Sep record high C = 26.1 |Oct record high C = 27.7 |Nov record high C = 28.4 |Dec record high C = 32.1 |Jan record low C = 10.4 |Feb record low C = 9.7 |Mar record low C = 10.2 |Apr record low C = 4.8 |May record low C = 5.6 |Jun record low C = 3.6 |Jul record low C = 3.0 |Aug record low C = 4.5 |Sep record low C = 4.8 |Oct record low C = 6.1 |Nov record low C = 8.2 |Dec record low C = 10.2 |Jan high C = 22.8 |Feb high C = 22.9 |Mar high C = 21.1 |Apr high C = 19.5 |May high C = 19.3 |Jun high C = 19.0 |Jul high C = 18.7 |Aug high C = 17.9 |Sep high C = 17.9 |Oct high C = 18.6 |Nov high C = 20.3 |Dec high C = 21.8 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 20.2 |Feb mean C = 20.4 |Mar mean C = 18.9 |Apr mean C = 17.1 |May mean C = 16.4 |Jun mean C = 15.4 |Jul mean C = 15.0 |Aug mean C = 14.9 |Sep mean C = 15.3 |Oct mean C = 16.3 |Nov mean C = 17.9 |Dec mean C = 19.3 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 17.7 |Feb low C = 18.0 |Mar low C = 16.7 |Apr low C = 14.6 |May low C = 13.5 |Jun low C = 11.8 |Jul low C = 11.2 |Aug low C = 11.9 |Sep low C = 12.7 |Oct low C = 14.0 |Nov low C = 15.6 |Dec low C = 16.9 | year low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 28.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 34.2 |Mar precipitation mm = 45.3 |Apr precipitation mm = 51.8 |May precipitation mm = 66.4 |Jun precipitation mm = 69.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 73.2 |Aug precipitation mm = 70.3 |Sep precipitation mm = 62.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 58.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 49.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 34.0 |year precipitation mm = |unit precipitation days = 0.25 mm | Jan precipitation days = 5.5 | Feb precipitation days = 5.7 | Mar precipitation days = 7.3 | Apr precipitation days = 6.6 | May precipitation days = 7.6 | Jun precipitation days = 7.5 | Jul precipitation days = 8.3 | Aug precipitation days = 8.8 | Sep precipitation days = 8.6 | Oct precipitation days = 8.6 | Nov precipitation days = 7.2 | Dec precipitation days = 6.2 | year precipitation days = |source 1 = Starlings Roost Weather (precipitation 1880–2001)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/worldclimate/graphs.php?climate=9120&code=SF000175820 |title= CAPE ST. FRANCIS, SF Climate: 1991–2020 |publisher=Starlings Roost Weather |access-date= 27 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/worldclimate/graphs.php?climate=allyears&code=SF000175820 |title= CAPE ST. FRANCIS, SF Climate: 1991–2020 |publisher=Starlings Roost Weather |access-date= 27 December 2024}}</ref> }}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} * {{wikivoyage inline|St Francis}} * [http://www.sfbresidents.org/ Residents Association] * [http://www.stfrancisbay.co.za/ St Francis Bay] * [http://stfrancisbay.co.za/cam/St-Francis-Bay-Webcam.php St Francis Bay Webcam]

[[Category:Populated places in the Kouga Local Municipality]] [[Category:Populated coastal places in South Africa]] [[Category:Surfing locations in South Africa]]