By Justine Olivier
While the golden beaches remain popular with sun lovers, surfers and bodyboarders, Ballito is also a popular international tourist attraction.
Ballito emanates the perfect coastal town atmosphere: allowing tranquillity and a slower pace of life to pervade almost every area within the town. Ballito also boasts first class beaches with its main swimming beach, Willard Beach, sporting the prestigious blue flag. The blue flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches which follow and maintain its explicit stipulations regarding water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety, among other service requirements.
This stretch of coastline – appropriately named the Dolphin Coast – also attracts marine mammals, mainly due to its shallow and clear waters which allow dolphins to feed close to shore. A sense of unspoken comradeship amongst those who live in Ballito makes this area even more entreating for those who are used to the abruptness and harshness of city living.
Best described as a breath of fresh air, Ballito boasts great growth potential with its safe and idyllic environment. “Ballito has become the hub of the KZN north coast, where people are drawn to a quality lifestyle in a beautiful and safe environment. People flock to Ballito in search of a quality of life away from the crowds of city life, be it permanent living or as a holiday destination,” adds Isabel Roos, of Imbizo Art Gallery.
There has been a sudden increase of buildings within the area, be it holiday home or apartment buildings, as well as an influx of main suppliers and interior decorators heavily influencing the mushroom growth. As with most tourist destinations, the quaint stretch of shops that fill the area are truly remarkable. Imbizo Art Gallery provides a selection of the finest artworks within KZN and boasts being one of the favourite meeting places within the town. The pubs and restaurants that line the sidewalks of Ballito are truly reminiscent of the area itself.
Whether it be a mouthwatering, succulent catch of the day, a surf and turf, or another culinary experience – whatever delectable dish one chooses to delight the palate with – nothing describes Ballito the best than a visit to the stunning area itself.
