Most people visiting South Africa go straight to Cape Town or Johannesburg looking for the nearest big game reserve. Heading to South Africa for a sun, sea and sand holiday is just as invigorating – if you know where to go!

First, head to Cape Town!

Cape Town offers some amazing beaches from False Bay’s  family beaches to the more trendy Clifton beaches on the Atlantic Seaboard. We loved the cafes and bistros on Clifton – a definite posers paradise!

False Bay Beaches

The False Bay coastline is relaxed and very family friendly. These are the beaches most popular with the locals as the water is warmer here by 3 – 4 degrees and they are safe for swimmers.

Muizenberg is surfers paradise and most youngers learn to stand on a board for the first time in these waves.  It’s a really long beach and can get quite packed during peak season (Nov – Jan) but there are good facilities for families including water slides for the kids.

St James Beach is renown for the tidal pool making it great for kids. It’s a smaller beach and can get pretty packed in season as everyone wants in the tidal pool!

Fish Hoek has a lot of space for games, walking, swimming, kite flying or just lazing.  There’s a walkway on the right hand side of the beach allowing you to stroll and spot the whales that come into the bay. This beach is right next to Clovelly Beach which is very popular with the young surfers and for parties.

Boulders Beach is a firm family favourite as it’s populated by African Penguins. It is one of the best swimming beaches in Cape Town but you will need to pay to laze away a day here. It’s a small cove protected by enormous granite boulders hence the name.  Great for small children and adults alike.

Moving on down the Trail

As you head out of Cape Town, staying on the warmer side of the Cape i.e. the Indian Ocean side, you can pop into Hermanus with its selection of beaches.

There’s Onrus beach which is ideal for the family and flanked by a lagoon so they can play all day! Then there’s Langbaai (Long Bay) offering good swimming and clean white sands for those wanting privacy and peace but you need to get there early as parking is limited.

Kammabaai is great for families with little kids as it’s shallow and warm with fine white sand, toilets and parking.

Voelklip beach is next and very popular with the teens and young adults. It has great lawned areas and white sand for sun bathing on with great facilities but again, limited parking.

In our next post we explore the beaches further down the Garden Route of South Africa heading into Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.