Standing 16.5 metres high with three stories, The Big Pineapple is the biggest man-made pineapple in the world. The fiberglass, steel and concrete superstructure stands tall in Bathurst, a small town in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape.
Farmers who settled in the area in the 18th century struggled to successfully grow crops until they began planting pineapples. Members of Bathurst’s agricultural community decided to honor the fruit by erecting a massive building in its shape in the 1980s.
The ground floor has a gift shop selling pineapple merchandise including jams and chutneys, locally made pottery and trinkets and t-shirts. The 1st floor offers tourist information and displays of the South African ‘Pineapple Story’. The 2nd floor has a continuous DVD presentation about the Eastern Cape pineapple industry that flourishes in the Bathurst area. There is also observation deck which offers 360° views over the surrounding farm lands to the Indian Ocean.
The Big Pineapple is situated on a pineapple experimental farm with expanses of lawn for children to run freely. There is also a restaurant in a historical stone settler building.
