Welcome to the Mossel Bay wiki page - in addition to region guides like this post we also list a broad range of hotels, B&B's, guesthouses and self-catering establishments. Check out our Garden Route page if you're looking for more
Garden Route accommodation.
Mossel Bay lies on the southern coast of the Western Cape Province, east of the Cape of Good Hope, in the well-known Garden Route. Originally called Aguada de Sao Bras (Bay of Saint Blaise) by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, it was renamed to Mossel Bay by Dutch navigator Paulus van Caerden in 1601, due to the abundance of mussels found in the area. Today, the town has a population of 82,000.
The Dias Museum Complex marks the spot of the historical landing of Dias. Located in the museum is a replica of the caravel on which Dias arrived. The caravel arrived in Mossel Bay in 1987, a gift of the government of Portugal.
Mossel Bay's economy has benefited from its proximity to an offshore natural gas reserve. The gas is piped ashore to the Mosgas refinery (now PetroSA). The harbour has been used extensively for servicing these oil operations including the maintenance of oil platforms.
According to Guinness Book of World Records, Mossel Bay has the second mildest all-year climate in the world, after Hawaii.
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