Our Best Beaches, and Why We Love Them

Sep 22

Every local has a beach they defend like family. These are ours: where we go for a quick morning swim, where we pack for the whole day, where we get coffee and where we park. Think of it as the note we'd leave on the kitchen counter for a friend staying in one of our homes.

Clifton 4th Beach

Why we love it. Clifton sits tucked under Lion's Head, and that means shelter. When the summer southeaster is sandblasting the rest of the Atlantic Seaboard, Clifton's four coves stay calm. 4th is the most family-friendly of the four: it has the gentlest water, it holds Blue Flag status, and you walk down a couple of steps instead of the long staircases to 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The sand is white, the granite boulders are huge, and the water is so clear it looks tropical until you step in. At 14–18°C, it is not.

The setup. 4th Beach has its own car park just off Victoria Road, with extra street parking along the road itself. On a summer weekend both are full by mid-morning, so an Uber or the MyCiTi 108 or 109 bus is the stress-free option. Umbrellas and loungers are for hire on the sand. Alcohol isn't allowed on City beaches, and it is enforced.

Morning or all day? All day, if you arrive early. The first hours are the calmest, before the crowds and the afternoon breeze. Once you've claimed your spot under the boulders, you won't want to leave.

Lollies to make you jolly. On a hot summer afternoon, listen for the call of the lolly sellers working their way along the sand with cooler boxes on their shoulders. It's one of those Cape Town sounds that means summer has properly arrived.

Coffee and a bite. There's nothing to eat in Clifton itself, and locals like it that way. Get breakfast five minutes down the road in Camps Bay (below). At the end of the day, The Bungalow above Glen Beach is the classic spot to watch the sun drop into the Atlantic with a drink in hand.

Camps Bay

Why we love it. It's the Cape Town postcard: a long arc of white sand, a row of palms, the Twelve Apostles behind you and a strip of cafés across the road. Camps Bay is less a hidden gem than a place to see and be seen, and it's brilliant at it. Head to the tidal pool at the southern end for a sheltered swim that's calmer and kinder than the open Atlantic, which usually sits between 12 and 16°C.

The setup. There's street parking along Victoria Road and the side streets, and it fills quickly on sunny days. Toilets and change rooms are at one end of the beach, and informal vendors rent out umbrellas and loungers on busy days. If the southeaster picks up and the sand starts to fly, do what locals do and move round the corner to Clifton.

Morning or all day? Either works, which is the beauty of it. Swim early, have breakfast across the road, go back for the afternoon, then stay for sundowners without moving the car.

Coffee and a bite. Mantra Café at 43 Victoria Road serves walk-in breakfast from 8:30 to 11:30, upstairs and looking straight out to sea. Café Caprice, the original Camps Bay beachfront bar, has been going since the '90s. It opens at 9am for breakfast (Tuesday to Sunday) and really comes into its own at golden hour.

Llandudno

Why we love it. You drive down through a quiet village of steep, winding streets, and then the bay opens up: smooth granite boulders, soft sand and a surf break that's been drawing local surfers for decades. There's nothing commercial here. No restaurants, no shops, no beachfront strip. That's exactly why it's our favourite place on the peninsula to watch the sunset.

The setup. There's one small car park at the bottom, and on a sunny weekend it fills early, so arrive before 10am or come later in the afternoon as the morning crowd leaves. There's a newer toilet block, and on busy days vendors come round with cold drinks and snacks. The water is very cold, and the surf can pack a punch, so it's better for watching and paddling than serious swimming.

Morning or all day? Come in the afternoon and stay until sunset. Pack a proper picnic and a blanket, and find a sheltered hollow between the rocks when the wind picks up. When the sun goes down behind the headland, everyone on the beach stops what they're doing.

Coffee and a bite. Bring your own. That's the Llandudno way.

Muizenberg

Why we love it. Crossing to the False Bay side changes everything: the water is warmer (18–20°C in summer), the waves are gentler and the mood is easier. Muizenberg is the spiritual home of South African surfing. Its long, rolling waves break over a sandy bottom, which makes it one of the best places in the world to stand up on a board for the first time. And the row of painted Victorian bathing huts might be the most photographed thing in Cape Town.

The setup. It's 30 to 40 minutes from the city via the M3. Surfer's Corner is the heart of it, with surf schools, board hire and cafés all within a few steps of each other. Get there early on weekends for parking. Shark spotters sit on the mountainside above the beach and use a flag system, so check the flag when you arrive and swim between the lifeguard flags.

Morning or all day? Mornings are best. Take a lesson or an early surf while the wind is still down, then have a long breakfast. If you'd like to stretch it into a whole day, walk the catwalk to St James and Kalk Bay (below).

Coffee and a bite. Hang Ten Café sits right on Surfer's Corner. It opens at 7am and does very good crêpes, smoothies and coffee with a sea view. A block back at 11 York Road, Empire Café is a local institution for a big breakfast, and coffee is half price before 8am if you're fresh out of the water.

St James and Kalk Bay

Why we love it. This is our favourite whole-day beach outing. Start at Muizenberg and follow the catwalk, the coastal path that runs along the rocks just above the water, south to St James. It takes 20 to 25 minutes. That's where you'll find the other famous row of candy-coloured bathing boxes, and below them a tidal pool cut into the rock shelf. Keep walking and you reach Kalk Bay, a working fishing harbour lined with antique shops, galleries and some of the best seafood on the peninsula.

The setup. Parking at St James is limited to a strip above the beach. The easier option is to park once in Muizenberg and walk, or take the Southern Line train, which stops at each village along the coast. Time the tidal pool for low tide, when it's shallow, clear and noticeably warmer. There's no lifeguard at the pool, and the rocks are slippery, so wear water shoes.

Morning or all day? All day. Walk, swim, eat and walk back, with a stop at every rock pool along the way.

Coffee and a bite. Olympia Café in Kalk Bay has been an institution since 1997. It opens at 7am and doesn't take bookings, so expect a queue, but the coffee, pastries and mussels are worth it. For lunch on the harbour wall, Kalky'sserves fish and chips (hake, snoek, calamari) straight off the boats, often with seals waiting nearby for scraps. Bring cash: Kalky's doesn't take cards.

How we'd spend a beach week

Save the Atlantic beaches for still, hot days, and when the southeaster blows, cross to False Bay or tuck into Clifton. Take one long morning at Muizenberg, one full day walking from St James to Kalk Bay, and one evening sunset at Llandudno. By the end of the week, you'll have your own favourite beach to defend.