The Royal Alfred Marina is a secure, gated residential estate situated on the Kowie River in the heart of Port Alfred on the Eastern Cape’s Sunshine Coast.

Nowhere else in Africa is there a private marina quite like this one – where every home has its own waterfront, with both water and road access to the beach and the river.

The Royal Alfred Marina is all about Lifestyle, Home and Community

The mission of our Homeowners’ Association is to provide residents with a safe and highly desirable way of life in a well-managed environment. This is one of only three Marinas in South Africa to qualify for the prestigious international Blue Flag award. We are committed to protecting and enhancing our natural surroundings.

Lifestyle: An idyllic, relaxed environment for digitally mobile families who have opted out of the urban rat race in favour of living close to nature within easy reach of urban amenities.

Home: Upmarket, safe and beautifully maintained, this 45-hectare Blue Flag Marina consists of 360 erven, some consolidated, with 245 free-standing homes on five interlinked islands in the Kowie River’s tidal estuary.

Community : This is a welcoming and eclectic community where every family enjoys living at its own pace. Our multi-generational residents take full advantage of living the dream in this little corner of paradise.

Estate Living with a Difference

What sets the Royal Alfred Marina apart from other residential estates? It’s all about location and setting. The Marina is situated in the heart of Port Alfred, approximately 150km to either Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) or East London. Yet, despite the estate’s urban surroundings, Marina residents experience the best of country living with direct access to both the beach and the river.

Homeowners have their own access to a pristine stretch of golden beach –  a favourite haunt of joggers, sun worshippers, and dog walkers. Here you can walk for what seems like forever, breathing in the sea air and enjoying the changing scenery from spectacular sunrises to glorious sunsets. This beach is also known for its surfing. When conditions are right, it’s the East Pier on our beach that draws in the surfers.

Port Alfred has a reputation for great game fishing. This place is a fisherman’s paradise – whether you are a deep sea enthusiast, a river boat fisherman or a rock and surf angler. You can enjoy direct access through sheltered breakwaters to the rich fishing grounds in the open sea, you can explore the long reaches of the Kowie River and also enjoy the challenges of our pristine coastline.

Watercraft are integral to marina living. Whether into speed or leisure, everyone goes out on the water. Marina homes each have their own jetty, so boats and barges of all shapes and sizes can be used 24/7 – even when the tide is low. Everyone loves to be on the water, whether to paddle the canals, ride out to sea, or to explore the river. The Kowie is navigable for approximately 22 kilometres and ideal for water-skiing, jet-skiing, canoeing, angling, board sailing and general boating.

For birdwatching and nature enthusiasts, the sights are unsurpassed. Even the regal Fish Eagle can be found in abundance. Sometimes there are other visitors too. For instance, a seal, nicknamed Sammy, has taken to spending many of the summer months lazing on the canal banks.

This is one of those special places where children can enjoy the kind of simple childhood pleasures that their grandparents remember, without their parents worrying about security. Here they run around freely, ride their bikes and scooters, and visit friends on neighbouring islands. They can swim in the canals and paddle their own canoes.

Blue Flag Status

Nowhere else in Africa will you find a more alluring waterfront residential complex than the Royal Alfred Marina with its prestigious Blue Flag status. The Marina has a number of features that set it apart from other residential estates. The primary difference is this marina’s ingenious and harmonious integration with its natural environment, taking full advantage of its location in a tidal estuary. RAMHOA takes the Marina’s impact on its environment very seriously, and works hard to go beyond merely being “eco-friendly”, hence our Blue Flag status.

The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary eco-labels awarded to beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators. It challenges local authorities and site operators to achieve high standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety. Blue Flag is run by Foundation for Environmental Education. It was established in 1985 and has become a truly global Programme with an ever-increasing number of countries participating.

The Blue Flag programme promotes sustainable development in freshwater and marine areas. Our estuary is known for its abundance of bird life. Well over 100 different species have been identified in the area. Some 36 species of marine life have been identified in the canal waters, which exceeds the recorded number of species in the Kowie River prior to the development of the Marina.

In order for the Royal Alfred Marina to maintain its Blue Flag status, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria must be continuously met and maintained.

Waterfront Properties

This 45-hectare Marina consists of 245 free-standing residential properties on five interlinked islands in the Kowie River’s tidal estuary. The islands are on average 80m in width, allowing two 35,25m wide rows of plots and a central 9,5m road reserve. They are linked by hollow core arched bridges, which carry all services out of sight. The arched bridges allow small craft to pass underneath their 3m clearances. Community facilities include extensive security measures, a clubhouse, tennis and squash courts, a swimming pool and a children’s play area.

Participating in the broader Port Alfred community is important to RAMHOA.

The Marina management and community are actively involved with a number of non-profit initiatives and organizations in the area.