One of the best known landmarks in Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route is the Beacon Isle Hotel. Beacon Island is at the mouth of the Piesang River and has a history that goes back to 1771. In that year the first navigational beacon was erected on the island. The original was a square block of stinkwood, inscribed with the latitude and longitude of Plettenberg Bay, and erected to enable mariners to check their location and chronometers. It also gave Beacon Island its name. The wooden beacon was replaced by Captain Sewell with a stone one in 1881 and has been replaced a couple of times over the years. It can be seen in the gardens of the hotel.