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History & Evolution
The area of Port Elizabeth was part of the Cape Colony. The Cape colony was founded by the Dutch in 1652. In 1799 British occupied the colony and built a famous fort in this area. The city of Port Elizabeth emerged as a major trading port of the region. Around 4000 British settlers in the area in the year 1820. The city of Port Elizabeth was named after late wife of governor of Cape Colony, Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth underwent raid expansion and in 1861 the city was granted the status of autonomous municipality.

Port Elizabeth was severely affected by the racial policy of Apartheid. Various townships were built on the basis of race and color. The city manged to grow rapidly despite of problems of violence and crimes. The main reason for this was the booming tourism and real estate industries. The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality came into existence in 2001. It was an administrative area covering Port Elizabeth, the neighboring towns of Uitenhage and Despatch and the surrounding agricultural areas. The city is in a phase of upgradation and is an important venue of the upcoming 2010 FIFA world cup.

Site-Seeing
Port Elizabeth is bestowed with some of the world's most magnificent architecture. The city also has beautiful natural harbors and several heritage sites. Port Elizabeth is visited by tourists from all over the world.

Bayworld Museam Complex:
Bayworld is one of the most popular tourist destination in Port Elizabeth. The complex houses the main Museum, Oceanarium, Snake Park as well as Number 7 Castle Hill Museum. The Museum preserves natural and cultural heritage of South Africa. The Main Museum of Bayworld has a 15m skeleton of the last southern right whale of Algoa Bay and a replica of the giant prehistoric dinosaur. The Oceanarium hosts several dolphin and seal shows. The place also houses a Dolphin research center and an underwater observatery. The snake park is the oldest reptile park in South Africa and it houses several species of snakes and other reptiles. The 7 Castle Street Museum is another attraction of the Bayworld.

Location: Marine Drive on the beachfront at Humewood.

St Georges Park:
St Georges Park is the oldest and the most loved park of South Africa. The park has a large swimming pool with a diving board and also a small pool for kids. There is also a restaurant in the swimming pool complex. The park is a a perfect venue for picnics and is visited by many visitors each day. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum is also located at the entrance of the park. St. Georges Park is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. The park is very crowded during weekends.

Location: City Center

Bluewater Bay:
Bluewater Bay is a popular beach front in northern Port Elizabeth. The area not only has beautiful sand beaches but also has a rapid developing real estate industry. There is a huge demand for homes in the area. Bluewater Bay gives its visitors a chance to get views of whales, sharks and dolphins. The bay also is home to numerous activities like fishing, surfing and other watersports. The Bluewater bay is visited by millions of visitors round the year.

Location: Coega

Seaview Lion Park:
The Seaview Lion Park provides the visitors, a unique opportunity of playing with the lion cubs. The park also houses other animals like Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Duiker Monkeys and 40 other species of wildlife. There is a rare species of white lions in the park who are part of a special breeding program. The most interesting fact about the park is that all the animals of the park are in their natural habitat. They can be found hunting for their food and roaming freely in the game reserve. The park's security system is well equipped and there are no chances of any mishap. The park can be a perfect place for the wild African safari.

Location: 25 Km from City Center