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