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Hole-in-the-Wall photo by Vincentvanoosten-

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Hole-in-the-Wall

Hole-in-the-Wall is an impressive natural rocky archway located roughly at the center of the 300km stretch of wild coast between Port Edward in the North and East London in the south Wild Coast Region, Eastern Cape in South Africa.   

It is named Hole in the wall because the almost circular structure resembles a hole pierced through the wall of volcanic dolerite and shale. The sandstone and shale making up the cliff date back to 260 million years ago.

According to Geologists, the arch was formed due to erosion from the massive waves and tides of the Indian ocean during storms.

The cliff foot is said to be formed by soft dolerite that broke away upon impact from the mighty waves that hit the cliff for years.
The arch is a great tourist attraction and here are 10 Astonishing facts about the Hole-in-the-Wall:

Hole-in-the-Wall photo by hermansmit-.

1. The Arc is situated to the South of Coffee Bay

The coffee bay is a town located on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa that formed in 1893. It is named the coffee bay after the hundreds of coffee trees that grew beans by plunderers or were scattered by a shipwreck.  

It is approximately 250 kilometers south of the city of Durban with a population of 258 people.

The community is largely rural with the population predominantly Xhosa with infrastructure that includes informal settlements two resort hotels, a plain camping site, and a trading store.

The Hole is 8 km south of the coffee bay at the mouth of the Mpako river.

Hole-in-the-Wall photo byGrantsJ1-

2. It is a Water Eroded Arch

Arches are usually formed due to the effects of the weather and surroundings. With enough time, the constant cycle of wind, ice, and rain will form an arch causing a phenomenon known as weather erosion.

Most of the arches and bridges throughout the world were formed this way.  Water eroded arches are formed in the path of streams that wear away and penetrate the rock creating potholes.

Chemical weathering occurs in the potholes as water collects in natural depressions and eventually cuts through to the layer below. This is how the Hole–in–the–Wall came to be according to scientific understanding.

Hole-in-the-Wall photo by User: (WT-shared) Tyearsley at wts wikivoyage-

3. The Arch was Initially Only Accessible by Off-Road Vehicles

Coffee bay is an underdeveloped town with the main economic activity as farming. The locals were very dependent on the produce of their land which led to low income and hence low Infrastructure.

The impact tourism had had on this area is great as it had increased the income total that allows the creation of amenities like 2 esteemed resorts in the area and the development of more accessible roads.

The roads in the region varied from dilapidated, to cattle-covered dangerous and unpredictable. The cliff was only accessible by off-road vehicles and boats but the road has since been cleared and developed for tourists to hike and enjoy the scenery.

Hole-in-the-Wall photo by South African Tourism from South Africa-

4. The Arch is Big Enough to Allow a Boat to Pass Through It

The hole stands well over 200 feet which is 80 meters high and 1000 feet wide and is 300 meters long on shore.

It is the biggest in the area allowing sailboats to pass underneath it with ease allowing the visitors to marvel under the rock formation.

Tour guides use this opportunity to educate the visitors about the creation and indigenous stories concerning the arc. They also get to showcase the diabase rock forming the arch which is also called Dolerite.

This rock is mafic holocrystalline dark gray to black sub-volcanic rock that glitters in the open cave. The intrusive igneous rock is also soft and slippery to touch due to all the friction of the water that smoothens it that visitors are allowed to touch.

5. It has More than One Name

The Hole-in-the-Wall has gone by many names. It was initially called EsiKhaleni by the local Xhosa people.

The name was changed to Hole-in-the-Wall because the visitors had a hard time pronouncing the name. The hole has also been referred to by other names like The Place of Sound and The place of Thunder.

This is because of the sound made when the Indian Ocean gushes through the cavity, especially during a storm that is often loud.

The loud noise that emanates when the waves slap the rocks with a resounding crack is believed by the tribesmen to be the sounds of the sea-people singing and shouting.

6. The Locals Believe the Arch is a Gateway to the World for their Ancestors

The Xhosa people are the indigenous people whose primary homeland is the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.

They are a Nguni ethnic group with a rich sense of culture and heritage who adhere to and respect their traditions.

Their customs and beliefs are very important to them as it defines their history and who they are. The Xhosa that settled near Coffee bay referred to the Hole as a gateway to their ancestors.

They believed the Mpako River running through the Hole formed a landlocked lagoon as its access to the sea was blocked off by a cliff. The folklore is that the ancestors created a way of passage for themselves to visit the Xhosa people.

7. The Bridge was once Joined to the Land

Geologists have theorized that the cliff was once joined to the land. It was an extension towards the sea that eroded away due to the force of the waves and tides over time.

The continuous wave action against the softer sandstone rocks tore and wore away the cliff walls ultimately leading to the detachment to the mainland. 

The geologists have claimed there is residue near the terminals that prove their theory that weather corrosion isolated the cliff from the mainland.

8. The Hole has a Mythology of its Creation.

The lore of the indigenous amaXhosa people states that The hole in the wall was created by the legendary sea people.

The story begins with a beautiful girl that once lived in a village along the Mpako river when the lagoon was still landlocked from the sea by the cliff.

She met a man of the semi-aquatic sea- people and fell instantly in love with each other. Her father strictly forbade their union which angered the sea-people.

One night during a particularly high tide the man gathered his people at the base of the cliff and rammed a hole in it with the aid of a giant fish.

The sea people swam into the lagoon singing, shouting, and screaming. The villagers ran and hid in fear apart from the fabled girl who slipped into the sea with her lover and his people never to be seen again.

It is said at high tide on a full moon the song of the people can still be heard reverberating through the hole.

9. There is a Wonderful Lagoon for Swimming.

The Hole in the Wall is one of the most impressive landmarks along the Eastern Cape South African coastline. In addition, the lovely lagoon at the Mpako river is a true sight to behold.

The mesmerizing combination of coral growth and clear water attracts many visitors to swim, snorkel, surf, and sunbathe at the nearby shore which is also exquisite.

The lagoon offers a great variety of aquatic creatures that people can marvel at like the wide variety of fish and aquatic plants.

Fishing also takes place here since the environment is favored as a breeding ground for fish with the relatively shallow water, dense reefs to hide in and plentiful algae for the fish to feed on.

10. The Bridge offers a Great View of the Sea and Land

At the bridge of the wall, people can view the breathtaking beauty of the cliff. Trained hikers and mountain climbers enjoy the thrill of climbing the cliff to experience the marsh and breeze.

Individuals can stare at the great Indian ocean, and view the land or the lagoon and river at the foot of the cliff. The visitors are also allowed to take photography of the places to make lasting memories of their trip to the Hole-in-the-Wall.