CAPE TOWN’S PRISTINE BEACHES:

There are many spectacular beaches around Cape Town, and some of the most beautiful are only 5 minutes away from the Table Bay Hotel. All of them have gorgeous soft white sand and are set in beautiful scenic locations.

Clifton is a whole series of beaches situated directly beneath the “Twelve Apostles”, which are the huge peaks adjoining Table Mountain. Camps Bay, a little further on the same road, is the trendiest of Cape Town’s beaches, and attracts the fashionable set. It is a long beach lined with palm trees, and it is an excellent place to watch amazing sunsets and the antics of the beach revellers and local hawkers.

On the Indian Ocean side, half an hour drive away, are the False Bay beaches, including Muizenberg beach which stretches for eternity. St. James is a smaller beach that is very pretty and famous for the colourful beach houses which are used as changing rooms. This is a nice sheltered spot if it is windy.

There is a lovely walk along the sea from Muizenberg to St. James and you can often watch whales cavort amidst the waves. Nearby Kalk Bay, a charming harbour village has many antique shops, coffee shops and fish restaurants.

Further south is the popular Fish Hoek beach, and then Simon’s Town’s Boulders beach where a colony of African Penguins reside right on the beach. An advantage of this side of the coast is the warm water, which is usually warm enough to swim in.

Noordhoek beach is about 25 minutes drive from Cape Town, and is situated in a wild and natural area. Horse-riding through the waves is a popular pastime.

Other beaches include many excellent surfing spots: Kommetjie with an historic lighthouse, and Scarborough, which has wonderful views of mountains, and is excellent mussel-scalloping territory.