Cape Town Beach Guide
Cape Town Beach Guide
Cape Town is acclaimed for its collection of postcard perfect beaches; which makes this part of South Africa one of the top sun, sand and sea destinations in the world. Each beach has it's own character and you can expect a variety of experiences that will make your visit to the Mother City unforgettable. From mussel picking and penguin viewing, to family friendly and trendy and everything in between, you are sure to find a stretch of sand to suit your tastes. Cape Town boasts 3 blue flag beaches and it is the first country outside of Europe to earn blue flag status.
Cape Town is separated by a mountain range into the eastern and western side of the peninsula so on any given day you can expect very different sea and weather conditions on either side. You can watch the sun rise on the eastern side and end the day with a sundowner and sunset on the western side. In False Bay, the water is usually about 3C warmer but is also renowned for the Great White Sharks lurking in the bay. There are shark spotters on duty at the popular beaches and when you hear a siren you know it's time to get out the water.
Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno are on the Atlantic side and are trendy beaches with beautiful views and magnificent sunsets. These beaches are perfect for sun tanning, sundowners and swimming but remember South Africa has sunny days so smear on the sunscreen.
Muizenberg and Fish Hoek are both family friendly. Surfers Corner in Muizenberg is an historic surfers beach and offers perfect beginner waves and is well known for it's perfect long boarding conditions. Fish Hoek is a popular family beach and has a relaxed beach front restaurant and play area for the children.
Hout Bay, which is fondly known as the Republic of Hout Bay by locals, was originally a small fishing village and has a traditional harbour and many restaurants and shops. The magnificent cliffs of Chapman's Peak flank the beach. The scenic Chapman's Peak drive entering Hout Bay is well worth a drive.
Bloubergstrand and Table View are popular with water sport enthusiasts and offers perfect conditions for surfing and kite surfing. The signature photographs of Table Mountain that adorn tourist magazines and postcards are taken from Bloubergstrand so it's well worth a visit to get add an experience behind the photograph.
Noordhoek and Kommetjie boasts stunning stretches of white sand and are ideal for long walks and sundowners. Long Beach in Kommetjie is a favorite amongst surfers and you can go on horse riding trips on Noordhoek Beach. If you have the permits and the know-how, you can also pick mussels and catch crayfish during the right season.
Boulders Beach and Windmill Beach in Simon's Town are renowned for the endangered African Penguin and they offer great pleasure watching their awkwardness on land and stealth in the ocean. Windmill Beach offers protection from the wind and is well known for beach weddings due to the absence of the South Easter.
If you into that sort of thing, Sandy Bay is Cape Town's nudist beach which can only be reached by walking along the coast from Llandudno. It can get windy and there are no amenities but it is quiet and beautiful.
There are many more beaches to choose from, all with their own special character so make sure to set aside some time for exploring Cape Town's beautiful beaches with white sand, blue skies and turquoise waters. London Locals use Crashpadder to offer accommodation for London 2012 Anchorage to Seward: Travel in Comfort with Shuttles Coach Hire and Travel – The Way Forward KPN Travels Offers You an Augmented Traveling Experience Cheap Train Tours: Best Way of Traveling Discover the Greatest 7 Locations to Travel Alone Your Technological Holiday Checklist London and Paris: Compare and Contrast Save Money by Gaining Local Knowledge on Holiday How to Save Money for a Holiday World top 5 Travel Destinations Get Real Flavor through Taj Mahal with Jaipur Tour PHL Department of Tourism joins 17th Annual Honolulu Festival