Jet Setting to Cape Town

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Cape Town, South Africa is one of the most beautiful and lively places in the world! From pristine beaches to wondrous parks and charming cafés to amazing wineries, there is so much to love about Cape Town.

In February 2018, I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to visit my cousin and her boyfriend who were currently residing in the city. We had such a blast going on adventures and visiting some of the most beautiful places in the country. Please note that all of the adventures my cousin and I did during my time in South Africa was through Crawford Concierge.

In this article, discover Cape Town’s best beaches! (Click here to read about the best adventures in Cape Town.)

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Getting to and around Cape Town, South Africa:

The trek to Cape Town from the New York City area is pretty long, but it is definitely worth it! I found great deals on Skyscanner and flew 14.5-hours from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa where I had a layover before hopping on another 2-hour flight to Cape Town.

During my time in Cape Town, I mainly walked, used Uber and took the local taxis to get around. If you are traveling to other parts of the country, it is recommended that you rent a car.

Where to Stay:

During my time in Cape Town, I stayed with my cousins in their Airbnb, but there are a variety of hotel accommodations to suit all budgets within the city. Some of the best areas to stay in are V&A Waterfront, Green Point, Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay. The best part about staying in these areas is that they are safe, offer great food options and are scenic as well.

Where to Hit the Beach:

Clifton:

Located in the most affluent area of Cape Town, Clifton offers four scenic beaches along the Southern Atlantic Ocean. What is cool to know is that each of these beaches attract a different crowd. 4^th Beach (the beach we went to) attracts families and people in their 20s and 30s; 3^rd Beach is popular with Cape Town’s LGBTQ community; 2^nd Beach is where you can spot models and Cape Town’s rich and famous and then 1^st Beach is where you can bring your furry friend!

From my personal experience, Clifton offers the best white sand beach in Cape Town since it is powdery soft and easy to walk on. There are boulders along the coastline where you can actually lay your beach towel out and sunbathe in a secluded area. One of the most attractive features of this beach is the view of Cape Town’s famous Lion’s Head Mountain. In fact, the peak of Lion’s Head serves as a dramatic backdrop to the entire city and is part of Table Mountain National Park – one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

The ocean water at Clifton Beach is a glistening crystal blue, but don’t assume that it has a tropical temperature because it is absolutely freezing! (The oceans in the Southern Hemisphere tend to have colder water than in the Northern Hemisphere.) Sadly, I didn’t get my swimming time in during my trip to Cape Town, but I still got to enjoy the warm sun and gorgeous views.

Clifton Beach is mainly residential, but you could still find high-end restaurants and cafés in the area.

Boulders Beach:

For all of you that have been waiting for it, Boulders Beach is where you can find the famous South African PENGUINS! Located 45 minutes to an hour from the heart of Cape Town, Boulders Beach is a beautiful area made up of fresh white sand and inlets between granite boulders. Oh and did I mention penguins?! Yes, this beach is definitely the pearl of the city because of these adorable and happy guys.

Boulders Beach is located in Simon’s Town, which offers a downtown area with adorable cafés, boutiques, restaurants and cliffside homes. The beach area is beautiful, but I will be honest that because of these oh-so-cute penguins, it could be a tourist trap. So it is important to find the perfect areas to get your alone time with the penguins and to snap some outstanding photographs.

When I first got to Boulders Beach, I was directed to walk along a hidden boardwalk to the information center. The boardwalk is long and crowded, but offers beautiful views of the mountains, cliffs and beach and it even has woodland paths with floral touches.

To access the main areas, you will need to pay 75 South African Rand, which is around $6 – $7 USD. The area outside of the information center is where you could view the penguins on a dock. When I first saw the penguins, my mood automatically enhanced. These little tuxedoed-looking birds are so adorable just being themselves. One of the coolest things I learned about these cuties are that they’re the only penguins found on the continent.

Even though the dock is where you could see the penguins in masses, you have to actually go on the beach to get close-up views of these little guys. Even though the penguins are adorable, please keep in mind though that you cannot pet them because they do bite! Plus it is best that you maintain respect as you are entering their habitat. The last thing you want to do is get these happy birds scared or nervous.

On the other side of the dock is the beach area where you could walk on the sand and get closer to the penguins. Since Boulders Beach attracts hundreds of people a day, it is hard to find an area where you could get great views of the penguins. In that case, there are little alleyways between the boulders where you could crawl through and find the penguins hanging out with their fellow chaps. One thing you have to keep in mind when you crawl through the boulders is that it can close off and get dangerous when high tide comes in. However, when it is low tide, it is a great area to escape the crowds and get some cool “selfies” with the penguins.

Since Boulders Beach is a far drive, I definitely recommend grabbing lunch either in Simon’s Town or at Boulders Beach Restaurant, located right on the beach! Before I hauled an Uber back to the main part of the city, I decided to relax and enjoy a lunch with a view right at Boulders Beach. I got a delicious mussel dish in a creamy garlic broth with a glass of South African rosé. It definitely hit the spot!

Camps Bay:

Just a little further from Clifton Beach (the beach I first talked about) is Camps Bay. This scenic beach is more of a “public” beach in a sense that it is easier to access. (Clifton Beach has steep stairs to get to the coast.)

Camps Bay offers a famous strip that features a range of glitzy restaurants, high-end boutiques and fun nightspots. My cousin and I ate at an amazing seafood restaurant called Paranga Restaurant, facing the ocean. I had the most amazing crawfish right from the shells; it was definitely one of my top meals in South Africa.

There are a lot of great gems at Camps Bay Beach. My favorite part of the beach is where you could walk on the rocks and watch the ocean crash along them. The other view from the rocks is the overpowering Twelve Apostles from Table Mountain. I loved how the clouds were covering the 12 peaks of the mountains; it was a beautiful site!

Muizenberg:

Around a half hour from the heart of Cape Town is the iconic (and super colorful) beach of Muizenberg. As a largely kept secret to Cape Town, Muizenberg attracts very few tourists and is known as being one of South Africa’s most active surfing communities amongst locals.

Muizenberg Beach is one of the perfect spots in the Cape Town area to catch a sunset and it even offers a great downtown area with delicious restaurants, bars, shops and colonial history.

Cape Town’s Renowned Waterfronts:

V&A Waterfront in Greenpoint:

As South Africa’s most-visited destination, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront) offers spectacular views of the bay and the iconic Table Mountain. As one of the top destinations in the continent to go shopping, V&A Waterfront is divided up into five shopping districts: Victoria Wharf, The Watershed, The Alfred Mall and Pierhead, The Clock Tower and Breakwater Point. You can even find authentic African art, jewelry and home goods in this area! A great place to get traditional African goods is at the African Trading Port! I love how pretty the building is and I also bought a few souvenirs for my family!

As you shop and enjoy the beautiful weather, V&A Waterfront offers live entertainment, great coffee shops and gelato stands, fun drinking spots, a Ferris Wheel that provides 360-degree views of the city and mountains as well as a special monument of Nelson Mandela and a few other South African role models.

In regards to dining at V&A Waterfront, there are a plethora of amazing options to choose from. Below is a list of the restaurants I ate at during my time wandering through V&A Waterfront:

• Baia (Best Seafood)
• Sevruga (Best Sushi)
• Den Anker Restaurant & Bar (Best Place for Small Plates and Drinks)
• Mondiall Kitchen & Bar (Best Continental Food)

Sea Point:

The oceanfront district of Sea Point is a lively area that features luxury apartments, a sandy beach, gorgeous tidal pools, a scenic promenade, views of Lion’s Head and amazing options for all of my fellow foodies.

The main attraction in Sea Point is the thriving Mojo Market – a fairly new foodie and lifestyle market that offers an eclectic mix of food vendors and retail stalls. I seriously LOVED Mojo Market because there are so many different options to choose from and they also have cute lit-up signs and fun places to sit and enjoy your meal of choice.

If you are a picky eater like myself, do not fret because this exciting market offers it all! There are a bunch of food stands that include Thai, Argentinian, Italian, Hawaiian, Dutch, Southern Comfort, Japanese, Seafood, Middle Eastern, Vegan & Vegetarian, Chinese, BBQ, Mexican, Spanish Tapas, Indian, traditional African and so much more! The market even has amazing coffee shops, bakeries, candy stands and juice bars. I personally enjoyed a dish from the Philly Rock N Ramen stand. It was so yummy!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my favorite beaches in Cape Town, South Africa. If you have any questions regarding my trip to Cape Town, please email me at info@browneyedflowerchild.com.

Basic Facts of South Africa:

Currency: South African Rand, Capital(s): Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative), Time Zone: South African Standard Time

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