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Camps Bay The stunning setting, pristine white sands and dazzling blue waters leave no doubt as to why Camps Bay Beach was awarded Blue Flag Beach status. One of the few Cape Town beaches on the Western Seaboard that is not protected from the south east wind, Camps Bay Beach is still very popular and quite frenetic with families, stylish singles, tourists, the lot.Camps Bay Beach is really wide, backed by a row of palm trees, a busy road and a bank of fashionable restaurants and coffee shops that overlook the beach. And it's one of the best sunset spots. In the summer months it’s not uncommon to spot famous faces who are regular visitors to Cape Town with the paparazzi lurking incognito behind beach umbrellas.Mediterranean and vibey, the ultra wide Camps Bay Beach hosts numerous events like the international beach volleyball tournaments and the popular Summer Beach Festival. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer and beach vendors stroll about supplying beach bums with ice creams and cold drinks.If you have young kids or just hate munching sand with your picnic, then grab a spot on the lawn next to the tidal pool – you can even braai here and children can swim safely without fear of being swept off to Australia. And if you’re feeling energetic, there’s a great walk from Camps Bay Beach to neighbouring Glen Beach, a stunning little cove with good surf. From there you can stroll past Maiden's Cove, Bachelor's Cove and finally to Clifton 4th Beach. Take Victoria Road for a brisk march back to Camps Bay beachfront.At the end of a tough day soaking up the sun’s rays, wander over to one of the many stylish beachfront restaurants and bars for sun-downers and the spectacular sunsets.
Beaches near Camps Bay
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and are not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
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Clifton (1.4 km from Camps Bay) The sugar-white sand of Clifton 4th Beach is usually sardine packed with beautiful people everywhere. Of all four spectacular Clifton beaches, this is the top beach spot for people watching, sunbathing, beach volleyball, frisbee and barbecues.
On calm days you’ll see a flotilla of yachts anchored close to shore – braaing their catch of kreef (crayfish or Cape rock lobster) with a glass of Cape bubbly in hand. If you’re brave enough to venture into the frigid water there are some crashing waves to bodysurf.
Clifton 4th Beach is conveniently just a stroll away from La Med, one of the Mother City’s best outdoor bars and clubs. If the South Easter is howling then Clifton 4th Beach is your best beach option with wind protection from the spectacular backdrop of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles.
Awarded Blue Flag Beach status, Clifton 4th Beach is the most southerly beach of a
series of small sandy coves in this upmarket suburb on the western seashore of Table Bay. Be prepared for a little exercise – access to the beach is down a series of steep, winding, narrow stairs that make it inaccessible for disabled visitors.
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Clifton (1.4 km from Camps Bay) Just around the rocky corner of Clifton's famous 4th Beach you'll find the smaller 3rd Beach.
3rd Beach is suitable for people who appreciate a little more privacy, as it's not as busy as neighboring 4th beach. Access is via stairs, or you can simply walk across from 4th Beach.
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Clifton (1.5 km from Camps Bay) Another superb stretch of sand along the Clifton waters, 2nd Beach is a popular location used by students and beach sport enthusiasts.
Easily accessible from Victoria Road and from the other Clifton Beaches, visitors shouldn't have a problem getting to the sand. Parking on Victoria Road can be an issue as you get closer to 4th Beach however. The water is quite chilly, but the surf is calm and the sand fine and white.
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Clifton (1.7 km from Camps Bay) Clifton 1st is nicely tucked away from the busy crowds, mainly used by the local residents and surfers.
Located closest to Sea Point on the northern side, Clifton 1st enjoys the best waves, hence it's popularity with surfers. Just like all the opther Clifton beaches, 1st beach is easily accessible from the road via stairs, or via a nice walk along the other beaches from 4th beach. The water is rather chilly, but the gorgeous sand and views makes up for it.
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Sea Point (4.7 km from Camps Bay) Located just off the Sea Point's promenade, you'll find some steps which lead onto secluded Rocklands Beach.
On this rather small beach you'll find a good space to enjoy the soft white sand and take in the lovely scenery. There is a small area where you can slip into the water for a nice chilly swim. The spot is also a great surfing and body boarding location.
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Table Mountain National Park (5 km from Camps Bay) Lying between Bakoven and Llandudno is Oudekraal, best known by scuba divers who come here to explore Justin’s Caves. The dive site is actually a group of huge boulders covered in magnificent sponges, soft corals, sea fans and ascidians. Not far off is the 1698 wreck of the Huis te Crayenstein, tempting divers with the prospect of salvaging treasure.
Part of the Table Mountain National Park, Oudekraal Beach offers a very different experience to the glamorous beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton. The tiny beach is hidden in a cove and offers braai facilities and a grassy picnic area. Huge granite boulders shelter the beach and provide a safe swimming area.
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Llandudno (8 km from Camps Bay) Llandudno Beach is one of those beautiful beaches that seem to have it all. Parking is a bit of a headache, so it never gets tooooo crowded. The white crescent shaped beach lies at the base of the steep slopes of the Twelve Apostles and is flanked by massive granite boulders.
One of the most popular chilling and romantic sundown picnic spots in Cape Town, Llandudno Beach is also the haunt of photographers, surfers, surf skiers and an active lifesaving crowd.
The boulders at the northern side offer some great walking with awesome views and so does the stretch along Sunset Rocks past the wreck of the Romelia to Sandy Bay. Llundudno is regarded one of Cape Town's most desirable residential areas.
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Sandy Bay (9.9 km from Camps Bay) Perhaps one of the most inaccessible beaches along the Cape coast, Sandy Bay is a very secluded and quiet beach, and as such has garnered the reputation as Cape Town's unofficial nudist beach.
Visitors will need to park their cars in Llandudno's Sunset Avenue, and from there it's a 10 to 15 minute walk to the beach. You can also access the beach from the Hout Bay side, over the dunes.
If you're heading out to Sandy Bay, be sure to take necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Stay in groups and don't take any valuables with you.
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Hout Bay (11.1 km from Camps Bay) Hout Bay Beach extends from the beginning of Chapman's Peak curving around to the Hout Bay Harbour with its numerous fishing boats and yacht marina. Hout Bay beach is an awesome family beach, but it's also popular with horse riders, dog walkers and kayakers.
One of the iconic Cape Town Beaches, Hout Bay Beach is yet another beautiful beach with powdery white sand that stretches almost a kilometre in length and half a kilometre in places. There's ample space for a game of beach volleyball, touch rugby, beach cricket, jogging or flying kites. The Hout Bay River cuts through the middle of this beach after meandering from the top of Table Mountain down to the Hout Bay wetlands and beach estuary.
Horse riders have easy access to Hout Bay Beach for early morning rides from stables close by. The protected bay is almost always calm and offers safe swimming and a range of water sports from paddling to kite surfing and sailing. This tranquil playground is perfect for sun tanning, just chilling and savouring the sweetness of doing nothing whilst taking in the exhilarating beauty of the surrounding mountains, white sandy beach and sapphire bay. Dolphins, whales and seals can often be spotted in the bay.
Hout Bay beach is perfect for the whole family and after a day well spent its essential to grab an ice cream from the Italian ice cream shop on the main road. There are also lots of good family friendly restaurants in close proximity – Dunes restaurant is a great option for young kids.
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Sunset Beach (15.6 km from Camps Bay) The sugar-white Sunset Beach is paradise for surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers. It also has fantastic views of Table Mountain, the city and Robben Island. Enjoy beach strolls as the sun sets across the ocean producing magical twilight skies.
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Table View (17.1 km from Camps Bay) Dolphin Beach is known for its amazing windsurfing and kite surfing opportunities. It’s also a great beach for dolphin and whale watching, long beach walks and jet skiing.
Spectacular views of Table Mountain, Robben Island and gorgeous sunsets can be seen every day. A variety of restaurants and shops are within walking distance. There are no public facilities or lifeguards.
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Noordhoek (18.4 km from Camps Bay) As you round one of the last hairpin bends of the incredibly scenic Chapman's Peak Drive in the direction of Noordhoek village, the spectacular sight of Noordhoek Beach will strike you. It's worth stopping here for a few minutes to gaze from this high vantage point at the enormous beach stretching for 8 km.
Horse riders can often be seen galloping along this vast expanse, gripped by the wildness of the ocean and sense of space and freedom. Also known as Long Beach, it's one of the stretches on the multi-day Hoerikwaggo Trail and you can walk all the way to the next village of Kommetjie.
There's more than enough space for everyone – surfers, beach walkers, dogs, horse riders, kite surfers and anyone up for a good session of sun tanning and chilling. It's not one of Cape Town's best swimming beaches as the conditions are often rough and the water temperature is chilly.
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Bloubergstrand (18.9 km from Camps Bay) Small Bay Beach is situated in Blouberg Village. The beach is located next to its big brother - Big Bay Beach.
A quieter beach, yet very popular with young families.
The beach offers the classical postcard view of Table Mountain& Robben Island.
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Big Bay (19.2 km from Camps Bay) Big Bay is one of two Bloubergstrand beaches – the other is unsurprisingly called Little Bay (or Small Bay) – and is a favourite surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing spot, drawing international enthusiasts to annual competitions.
Not only is it a great fun family beach, the long, flat sandy Big Bay Beach is perfect for sun tanning, walking, flying kites and just vegging out. If you can cope with ultra chilly water the swimming and bodysurfing is safe and fun. A rocky point divides the descriptively named Big Bay and Little Bay Beaches of Blouberg. There’s a plethora of shops and eateries along the beachfront road.
Ever wondered which one of Cape Town Beaches is best for taking photos of Table Mountain and the sea? Well, Blouberg (Blue Mountain) is the spot from which the postcard images are taken. Don’t miss the awesome sunset views – watch the face of Table Mountain turn golden as the setting sun blazes across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Muizenberg (20.1 km from Camps Bay) Surfer's Corners is one of the hottest spot for surfing in the world! It is also a perfect place to spots the whales in the water.
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Muizenberg (20.1 km from Camps Bay) Situated in the corner where the rather wild northern shore meets the rocky but well populated eastern side of the peninsula, is a long family-friendly beach where almost every Cape Town surfer learned to catch a wave.
Recently awarded Blue Flag Beach status, Muizenberg Beach is one of the most popular Cape Town beaches and is a hit with kids. Muizenberg Station is conveniently situated right on Muizenberg Corner. The whole beachfront is pretty crowded with loads of kids, families, dogs and noise.
Muizenberg Beach has all the usual facilities, like showers, surf shos & schools, a couple of nice restaurants and coffee shops on the beachfront and close by. There is a useful walkway from Muizenberg to St James, just on the seaward side of the railway line.
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St James (20.6 km from Camps Bay) With its famous and much-photographed Victorian bathing huts, St James Beach is a wonderful place for family leisure. The protected tidal pool combines the feel of ocean swimming with the safety and calm of a swimming pool. Collect shells, investigate interesting rock formations, or relax on the nearby lawn. Refreshments, cafes and restaurants are within easy walking distance.
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Clovelly (21.2 km from Camps Bay) The soft white sands of Clovelly Beach have been the starting point for relaxing morning and evening strolls around the Fish Hoek bay for generations. Fringed with ancient sand-dunes and washed by the 'Indian ocean', beach-goers enjoy a temperature that's often several degrees warmer than the Atlantic waters on the peninsula's west side.
A small offshore ridge gives junior surfers a perfect little practice wave, and hobie-cats and sea-kayaks launch into the ocean further down. Clovelly Beach provides a peaceful alternative to the busy Fish Hoek side of the bay. Whales frequently bask in the shallows from June to November, and dolphins provide great entertainment as they glide and bounce around in the surf.
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Kommetjie (21.6 km from Camps Bay) Kommetjie is a small village with a large tidal pool 'The Kom', and a really lovely long beach - also called Long Beach, but with far better reason than the one near Simon's Town. Long Beach is a very popular surfing and dog-walking beach. There is a great walk that passes a well preserved 1900 ship wreck, the Kakapo, and you can continue all the way to Noordhoek Beach, at the foot of scenic Chapman's Peak.
Another great walk is around Bird Island at the Kommetjie slipway where boats are launched during 'kreef' season. From here you can stroll along the catwalk until you reach the Outer Kom, one of the famous surf spots. A lovely boardwalk starts here and follows the shore to Slangkop lighthouse and then continues up to a WW II radar station on top of the mountain with sweeping views of the elegant Slangkop lighthouse against the wild ocean backdrop as well as the rugged coastline all the way to Cape Point to the south west and Hout Bay to the north east.
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Fish Hoek (21.8 km from Camps Bay) Fish Hoek Beach stretches for just over a mile at the head of a beautiful bay. It's one of the most popular Cape Town beaches for families, and there is loads of space for them to spread out. The northern side, Clovelly, is usually relatively peaceful. Fish Hoek often has a nice little wave and it's very popular with swimmers and young surfers.
From the southern end of the beach, another one of those great walkways hugs the southern end of the bay. It's a fabulous walk, especially in whale season, and there are some lovely tidal pools.