With its rich history and beautiful setting, the Gamtoos Ferry Hotel is a must visit when entering the Gamtoos Valley area. With history dating back to its establishment, the Gamtoos Ferry Hotel has evolved into a welcoming haven for travelers and locals alike.

“The word Gamtoos comes from the Khoisan language and means “Place of the Roaring Lion”. The Hotel was named The Gamtoos River Ferry Hotel, being near the ferry which in the early days was connecting the Eastern Province with the west.

The hotel was known in the later years to be the stopover destination for traveller and fishermen. The Gamtoos river is also known for a breeding ground for massive cob and huge specimens.

When the first Dutch farmers arrived in the Kouga and Gamtoos region they had to take their ox wagons upstream quite a distance to cross the Gamtoos river near the then known  Gamtoos Ferry River Hotel.

In the mid 1800’s a pontoon was used to convey traffic across the Gamtoos River. The ferry was close to the Gamtoos River Ferry Hotel, and was owned by the late Mr. G. D. Smith, of Nocton Farm.

Often carts and wagons were delayed on either side of the river for several days. As the country districts became more populated the trade on this main road connecting the Eastern Province with the west, increased. This created a great need to find a way to bridge the river and therefore a sturdy bridge was necessary.

It took several years to plan and build the bridge caused by the unfavourable conditions of the bed of the river for solid foundations, but was eventually completed and opened on the 3rd December, 1895. The “christening” ceremony was performed by Mrs. Garcia, the wife of the Civil Commissioner of Uitenhage.

This was the main road from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town until the new N2 Bridge was built over the river in the 1970’s.