Western Cape Beaches

About Western Cape Beaches

Anyone visiting or booking holiday accommodation in the Western Cape is spoilt for choice in terms of the beaches that freckle this scenic province. In fact, with about 900 kilometres (or 550 miles) of coastline, visitors can choose from rocky outcrops, untamed ocean, capes, or sandy little beaches that are lapped by perfect swimming and surfing waves.

Did you know? Once you've booked your Western Cape hotels or accommodation, explore the destination pages for info on attractions, activities and things to do when you visit the Western Cape.

This area includes the Garden Route beaches, which tend to be open, sandy, and relatively warm (in terms of the water temperature). Closer to Cape Town, these waters get cooler, but the beaches remain gorgeously inviting on hot summer’s day. Up along the Cape West Coast (stretching towards the Northern Cape), the beaches are more rugged, but no less appealing; and are on the doorsteps of quaint little villages like Paternoster, Langebaan and Yzerfontein.

The False Bay area is characterised by its rocky mountains and seaside town. At their feet, lie the gorgeous beaches of Muizenberg, Strand, Gordon's Bay, Simon's Town, Boulders Beach (home to a huge penguin colony), and Kalk Bay. These are about 20 to 40 minutes from the City Bowl, V&A Waterfront and CTICC; which means that they’re accessible, but quieter.

The beaches on the Atlantic Seaboard are right in the heart of the action, and skirt the suburbs between the Waterfront and Hout Bay. They include the beaches of Mouille Point, Clifton, Camps Bay, Bakoven, Llandudno, Camps Bay, and the beaches on the shores of Hout Bay. Scarborough and Kommetjie’s beaches also feature here.

Heading up the West Coast, there is Milnerton, Bloubergstrand, and Sunset Beach, known for their world-class kite-surfing and home to international kiting competitions like Red Bull King of the Air™. Then, leaving the borders of Cape Town, the beautiful beaches of the fishing villages are fabulous for weekend getaways or day trips.

The only natural harbour in the Western Cape is at Saldanha Bay, near the unbelievable hues of Langebaan Lagoon, and about 105 kilometres outside Cape Town. Cape Agulhas is the southernmost tip of Africa, and has some rugged, rocky beaches as well as picturesque sandy ones. They include Arniston, Struisbaai and Suiderstrand beaches.

The best surfing beaches in the Western Cape include Cape Town’s Muizenberg, Glen Beach (Clifton), Big Bay (Blaauwberg), Llandudno, Crayfish Factory (Kommetjie), and Dungeons (near Hout Bay). Further up the West Coast, surfers can head to Doring Bay, Farmer Burgers (Lamberts Bay), Elands Bay, and Paternoster.

More than surfing, many of the West Coast beaches are also ideal for stand-up paddling and hydrofoiling, and their sandy stretches are perfect for tanning, long walks, and building sandcastles.

The Western Cape enjoys hot summers with loads of sunshine. There can also be many clear, warm winter days, where the sunshine toasts the skin and the air is crisp and fresh. These are perfect days for beach picnics and sundowners on the sand.