Whales and dolphins frequently visit Plettenberg Bay but they are best viewed from the Robbeberg nature reserve, a peninsula nearby. Plettenberg Bay is great for swimming, sailing, surfing, fishing and hiking. If you prefer to stay on dry land you can go play golf, squash, tennis, and bowling. Hikers can try the Signal Hill Nature Trail, which starts at Signal Hill, through the Piesang Valley, then to the beach close to the old timber store.

Plettenberg Bay, or "Plet" as it is known locally, attracts a large number of rich tourists that prefer to stay in the local hotels. So, hotels are expensive in Plettenberg Bay. The stretch of sand from the Robberg peninsula to the Beacon Isle Hotel is known as the "Millionaires Row".

Fishermen can hire a motorboat from the Plettenberg Bay Angling club, situated on the western bank of the Keurbooms River, if they do wish to go out to sea. Scuba-divers wont be disappointed because there are plenty of wrecks to explore in the area. If you stand in the caravan park of the Robberg reserve you can see the wreck of the greek ship, the "Athena", stranded there in 1967.

Shell-collectors should be on the look-out for the highly sought after "pansy" shell which can be found on very few beaches in south africa.

According to legend Plettenberg Bay was the first involuntary "white settler" area, 20 years before Jan van Riebeeck landed at the cape. In 1630, a portuguese vessel, the Sao Goncalo, stranded in the bay. After eight months, the crew managed to build two smaller boats from the stranded vessel. One of the boats managed to reach Mozambique from where they were transported back to Portugal.The second boat was rescued at sea by another portuguese vessel, the Sao Ignatius Loyola, but the ship never made it back to Portugal.