Beaches You Want to Visit in Cape Town

On the southern tip of South Africa along the Atlantic is Cape Town. Known as the “Mother City” as the original city established in S. Africa by Europeans in 1652. 

The location of Cape Town along the Atlantic coast is original for being a cosmopolitan city that sits among a beautiful landscape of mountains, ocean and also offering some of the best beaches in the world.

Visiting Cape Town for its history, culture, friendly people, wildlife or for her landscape, a beach visit is a must with many options: 

Atlantic Seaboard – on Cape Town’s western coast, the suburbs of Clifton and Camp Bay have the top real estate in S. Africa and the area’s top beaches with its white sand beaches and crystal clear water. Sitting on the Atlantic side of the peninsula and facing west for amazing sunset views and views of Table Mountain are another reason for the popularity of the beaches in this region. 

• Clifton Beach and it’s 4 coves (Beaches 1 – 4)

Considered one of the top if not the best beaches in Cape Town, Clifton beach is located off the affluent Clifton neighborhood in the Cape Town region. 

Composed of 4 beaches separated by Granite boulders, called coves, the area attracts many locals and visitors for its powdery white sand and easy access for water sports. 

Uniquely due to the geography of the region, the warmest waters will be found in the winter months (May – August) when temperatures will reach 68 degrees as opposed to the summer months (November – February) when the water will reach maximum highs of 50 degrees.

Popular for wave and body surfing, plus boogie boarding the largest waves are found at 1st beach and the calmest are at 4th beach. 

1st beach is a popular surfing destination and where you will find the majority of the serious water lovers. 

2nd beach is popular with the teen and college crowd who spend their days playing volleyball, frisbee and other sand activities. 

3rd beach is the smallest in area and is known as a destination for the LGBTQ crowd looking for a more intimate setting. 

Families can be found at 4th beach where you will also find yachts that anchor near 4th beach due to its calm waters and easy shore access. 

• Camps Bay Beach

15 minutes from central Cape Town and also located on the Atlantic Ocean, at the base of the Twelve Apostles mountain range near Table Mountain is Camps Bay Beach. 

The village of Camps Bay, like Clifton is an affluent neighborhood of South Africa. Camps Bay offers the largest white sand beach within a small bay off the western coast of the Cape Town peninsula.  

The largest of the beaches in the Atlantic Seaboard area is located within a popular tourist area with hotels, bed and breakfasts and villa accommodations plus offering acclaimed restaurants, cafe’s, bars and nightclubs for a one stop visit location at the beach.  

The beautiful views from the beach here has made it a popular wedding destination within South Africa for ceremonies on the beach or at one of the nearby resorts. 

West Coast beaches –  offering long, sandy beaches to the North of Cape Town. These beaches are popular for kite-surfing and windsurfing due to the wind and surf conditions.

• Bloubergstrand

On the shores of Table Bay is a small seaside town located about 15 miles North of Cape Town. A mostly residential area, it’s northern location with consistent winds and cooler waters attracts visitors as the ideal location for windsurfing and kite-surfing enthusiasts. 

The Bloubergstrand beach region lies within a marine nature reserve protecting the endangered Cape Rock lobster and abalone. 

Another popular reason to visit the beach at Bloubergstrand is for the views of Table Mountain across the bay making it a picturesque spot.

During the S. African winter, this is the place to come for sightings of killer whale, dolphin and fur seals. Otherwise beautiful views of Table Mountain across the bay and for its uncrowded pristine beach makes it worth the visit anytime.

False Bay – Just shy of an hours drive from central Cape Town, the “C” shaped coastline is a picturesque region of the S. Africa to the southeast of Table Mountain along the east side of the rocky Cape Peninsula. 

• Boulders Beach 

Simon’s Town located just over the mountains from Cape Town has a sheltered beach that sits between 540 million year old boulders which is how it received its name. A popular location for visitors but not for its sand and sea but for its local residents. 

Boulders beach is the home of the Africa penguin who can only be found along the South African coastline and are protected by the Cape Nature Preservation due to their current status of extinction. 

Boulders is one of the only locations to get close enough to observe the birds in their natural habitat as they wander the beach. 

Tip: Head over to nearby Foxy beach for an even better view of the feathered birds with boardwalks to view the birds from above. 

• Muizenberg Beach 

One of the longest beaches in the area covers 20 kilometers (12 miles)

A beach side suburb of Cape Town, in the western Cape region, this beach town is the top surf destination. Due to it’s warmer waters (can hit up to 58 degrees) and consistent swell of waves, surfing here dates back over a hundred years accounting for it’s popular surf culture and where many come to learn to surf, or sample riding the S. African waters. 

The beautiful wide beach is flanked with colorful beach cottages on the beachfront. Venture a little farther down the beach and you will find picturesque Victorian bath houses that date back to the heyday of the beach’s history in the 1800’s.

Like the historic beach huts, this beach is all about simple good old fashioned beach fun and is the perfect setting for swimming, gathering, learning to surf and sun-bathing.

Adjacent to the beach you will find cafe’s, restaurants, boutiques and surf shops for the full beach resort town experience.

Africa is a bucket list destination for wildlife and exploration. When planning an African experience, South Africa is a must see and a visit to beautiful Cape Town is highly recommended.  

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