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Betty’s Bay
Betty’s Bay is on route 44 well to the west of Cape Town and just beyond Cape Hangklip and a place to see African Penguins, view Harold Porter Botanical Gardens (028 272 9311), or take the two hour ‘waterfall trail’ up Leopard’s Kloof.
Bloubergstrand
Bloubergstrand is on Table Bay 20 minutes north of Cape Town and across the water from Robben Island. Famous for its endless white sandy beaches, sunsets, views to Table Mountain and Robben Island. The beachfront has pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues and each restaurant along the beachfront Bloubergstrand gives views over the bay to Robben Island.
Boulders Beach
A pay for entry beach that is part of the Table Mountain National Park at Seaforth on the way to the Cape of Good Hope adjoining a sanctuary for penguins. The high boulders and still waters make this a perfect spot for children and to view penguins (021 786 2329).
Camps Bay
Camps Bay and Bakoven sit beneath Lions Head and the majestic Twelve Apostles with a palm fringed, sandy beach and a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Easy to reach on the “open top bus” tour and about 20 minutes south of the city.
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is the southernmost town in Africa. The lighthouse is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa and was erected in 1848 and has a red and white banded tower with a museum that traces the history of the lighthouse.
Clifton
Clifton is between Sea Point and Camps Bay has expensive apartments and houses with wind free beaches protected from the prevailing south-easterly winds. There are four adjoining white sandy beaches with the names 1,2,3, and 4 reached by stairways. The open top bus passes through Clifton and provides a chance to view the houses and beaches.
False Bay
The False Bay coastline on the East side of the Peninsula is more protected than the Atlantic beaches and the water in the bay is often warmer and is normally safer for swimming. Lifeguards are on duty at all major beaches. The closest False Bay town to Cape Town is Muizenberg which is about 40 minutes from the city centre by road or rail.
Fish Hoek
A popular safe family beach on False Bay with lots of facilities. The town has a seaside village atmosphere with shops, restaurants and coffee houses. Take a gentle walk to Peers Cave for brilliant valley views and where Victor and Bertie Peers excavated the 12 000 year old Fish Hoek Man. The Fish Hoek Valley Museum houses interpretive displays of the Peers Cave excavations as well as collections of local interest. Follow Jagar’s Walk along the rocky coastline to Sunny Cove, where sign boards, explain the life history of the dolphins. Fish Hoek is home to traditional healers, herbalists and local growers and manufactures produce a wide range of organic and herbal products for health care and beauty treatments. The Fish Hoek Mardi Gras happens annually in December.
Gordons Bay
Gordon’s Bay is on False Bay on route 44 close to Somerset West and has narrow streets and bustling waterfront set against the steep mountains of the Helderberg. Follow the Faure Marine Drive around the Hottentots Holland Mountains to the Streenbras Dam for excellent whale watching between June and November and magnificent views of Table Mountain. Walk the 7km Danie Miller Trail or the Streenbras River Gorge Hiking Trail where you will need a permit.
Hermanus
Hermanus is some distance from Cape Town in the Overberg region to the west of Cape Town and known for whale watching and the Fernkloof Nature Reserve for hiking, bird watching along the Klein River. The mountains overlooking Hermanus are good for hang-gliding and paragliding and Rotary Drive offers easy access.
Hout Bay
Over the Suikerbosie Hill from Llandudno is Hout Bay to the south of Cape Town on the Cape Peninsula is a fast growing area with a busy town centre and a waterfront development. Hout Bay has boat cruises from the harbour, the World of Birds and a variety of restaurants to choose from.
Kalk Bay
Kalk Bay is a fishing community on False Bay close to Fish Hoek. The town was first inhabited in the seventeenth century by shipwrecked seamen and deserters.
Langebaan
Langebaan is about 124km from Cape Town on the banks of the Langebaan lagoon and a base for the large West Coast National Park. The Park is home to birds and game and is thought to be one of the earliest places of human existence in the world. The lagoon waters make it ideal for kite-surfers, windsurfers, kayakers and fishermen.
Llandudno
Llandudno on the Cape Peninsula has a beach favoured by surfers and expensive real estate some having incorporated huge granite boulders and glass walled swimming pools overlooking the bay. Sandy Bay is a long walk from Llandudno beach.
Long Beach
Long beach stretches from Kommetjie to Noordhoek is a popular for surfing.
Muizenberg
Muizenberg is the first town on the road to False Bay from Cape Town and is 36km of white sands, safe bathing and a beachfront pavilion offering a swimming pool, waterslide and putt-putt course. Muizenberg was once the home of Cecil John Rhodes founder of the De Beers diamond empire and his cottage is now a museum.
Noordhoek
A scenic drive over Chapman's Peak toll road on the Cape Peninsula brings one into Noordhoek and its long white stretch of sand. The beach is good for walks, horseback riding, surfing and kite flying. Noordhoek is known for its stables and stud farms.
Sea Point
An urban beach close to the city centre and just south of the V&A waterfront with limited swimming but good for people watching. Sea Point has restaurants, bars and pubs and busy 24 hours a day and a cosmopolitan suburb.
Saldanha
Saldanha is to the north of Cape Town and is situated on the northern corner of a large bay making it good for watersports. The sheltered harbour plays an important part in the huge Sishen-Saldanha iron-ore project and for fishing fleets. Saldanha is home to a Navy Training Base and the South African Military Academy. Southern Right whales Saldanha Nature Reserve visit the safe waters in and around the nature reserve.
Strand
The watersports area of False Bay just off the N2 close to Somerset West is ideal for sailing, surfing, fishing, water-skiing and windsurfing. The beaches have a promenade lined with café’s, restaurants and shops as well as an entertainment area with putt-putt, a water slide, tidal pool and heated Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Scarborough
Scarborough is the last village on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula and lies at the mouth of Schuster’s River where the Cape clawless otters live.
Simon’s Town
Simon’s Town is at the end of the rail line going South from Cape Town and is a naval town named after the governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel upon whose recommendation the Bay was used by the Dutch East India Company for winter anchorage. The "Historic Mile" with twenty one of the buildings in St Georges street being over 150 years old is a popular walk.
The Simon’s Town Museum is housed in ‘The Residency’ and offers regular walking tours of the town centre. The Heritage Museum tells the story of the Muslim residents of Simon’s Town and their forced removal under the apartheid regime. The South African Naval Museum houses a submarine diorama and is the custodian of the Martello Tower and for children is the Warrior Toy Museum.
Other historic sites include the Church of St Francis and the Roman Rock Lighthouse. Jackass penguins can be viewed from Seaforth or Boulders Beach just beyond the town. The larger part of the colony is at Foxy Beach is reached by a path along the shoreline and a boardwalk onto the beach.
Velddrif
Velddrif is a major fishing and salt-producing town that is centrally situated on the West Coast well to the north of Cape Town and renowned for bird life, whale watching and the Rocherpan Nature Reserve.
Yzerfontein
Yzerfontein 80 km on R27 to the north of Cape Town has open-air restaurants and unspoiled coastline with both rocky and sandy beaches and good views of Table Mountain to the south and Dassen Island to the north.
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