The beaches on the Cape West Coast are some of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the world. There is a variety of accommodation available to choose from, but book soon to avoid disappointment. It’s time to get out your sunscreen and head to the Cape!
There is a world of choice if you’d like to visit one of the beaches on the Cape West Coast, including Big Bay, Langebaan, Table Bay, Melkbosstrand and Shelley Point. If you want to be close to the city, the Table Bay beaches including Big Bay are a good choice for you. There’s no reason to be put off by the wind – Big bay is an ideal spot to surf or windsurf. It also has great views of Table Mountain and Robben Island. Slightly further away is Melkbosstrand which is known best for its incredible crayfish and seafood. It is close to the Koeberg Nature Reserve which offers year round hiking trails for the outdoor enthusiast. If the sea is too cold, Melbosstrand is close to Ratanga Junction theme park and Grand West Casino, so even those rainy days can be filled with activity.
If you are keen to get away from the city, either Shelley Point or Langebaan is the beach for you. Langebaan is about 100km away from Cape Town, its beaches are covered in white sand and are perfect for evening walks. It is close to the West Coast National Park and West Coast Fossil Park. Another option is Shelley point which is 150km away from Cape Town. Its climate is Mediterranean which makes it the ideal winter getaway. It is home to a variety of aquatic wildlife such as whales, dolphins and a huge number of fish species. There is also the potential for bird watching. For exercise fanatics Shelley Point has world-class surfing spots, great fishing opportunities, and a number of seaside paths to run or jog along.
So whether you want to get close to nature, have fun at a theme park or visit incredible art galleries, the beaches on the Cape West Coast are the ideal place to start your holiday.
Surfing and Kite Surfing Spots
Surfing and Kite surfing spots are plentiful around South Africa, which is blessed with great oceans, sunny weather and fantastic beaches. Of course the big must for kite-surfing is wind, you need not only a strong enough wind, but also a constant flow if you want to be able to get out there anytime and hit the ocean. For surfing the same generally applies in that constant surf is preferable to crazily huge surf unless you’re a pretty serious surfer, in which case you probably already all your own favourite spots.
Surfing and kite surfing spots can be found across South Africa but for surfing the East coast is usually considered the best area, with Jeffrey’s Bay undoubtedly having the name as the hotspot of surfing in South Africa as well as it being one of the best spots around the world for good consistent surf of a decent size. Further down the East coast as you get into the beautiful and lush Garden Route area, Nature’s Valley, Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay all are pretty decent options too. Robberg and The Wedge in Plett are very popular surfing destinations, they don’t offer really massive waves, but you’ll find surfable waves there pretty much every day of the year.
When it comes to kite surfing, there are two popular spots in the Western Cape, where the wind can really get going. Bloubergstrand, about half an hour from Cape Town is a lovely holiday town, with great beaches and a solid wind for a bit of kite surfing. If you’re willing to venture further up the West Coast from Cape Town you can find your way to Langebaan, which is a pretty, quite beach town with a nice mix of surf and wind. Among some other good spots you can venture to Ponte de Oura in Mozambique for great kite surfing on a pretty waveless protected bay, or Ballito, Umhlanga and Umhloti, along with most of Kwa-Zulu Natal’s North Coast for a good mix of surfing and kite surfing spots.