Revel in the luxurious lifestyle of Cape Town’s ‘Riviera’, the famous Atlantic Seaboard, and find a luxury pad to rent for a few days as there is no shortage of lavish accommodation on this glamorous strip. Find a fully-equipped self-catering apartment or beach-view hotel tailor-made into tourist packages for your holiday in the Mother City.
Take this Western Cape scenic route along the edge of the cold and stormy Atlantic Ocean on a narrow winding road past cliff-hanging mansions, low-slung sports cars and residents decked out in brand-name clothing and pure gold and silver jewels.
Choose the best accommodation deals to Cape Town’s slick Atlantic Seaboard where the sun sets golden every day and the top hotels invite you in for a drink and a meal. Pubs, wine bars, coffee and smoothie takeaways available on every corner, spa and wellness refuges and surfing stores galore.
Your exploration of the cold ocean side of Cape Town starts at the popular Victoria & Alfred Waterfront on the north shore of Table Mountain and meanders all the way down the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula. It includes the suburbs of Mouille Point, Green Point, Sea Point, Fresnaye, Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay, Bakoven, Llandudno and all the way to popular Hout Bay featuring a working harbour and traditional fishing community.
Green Point and Mouille Point are closest to Cape Town’s city bowl and most photographs feature the iconic world-class rugby and a football stadium with its beautiful, curved lines built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In addition, there are several sports clubs, a century-old golf course and the lovely Green Parka public urban park just a little way back from the Mouille Point Promenade.
Wander down the boardwalk to one of the oldest still-operational lighthouses in South Africa overlooking the ocean at Mouille Point alongside a string of vibrant restaurants serving healthy meals, Greek tapas, freshly brewed coffees and pastry breakfasts – a great meeting point for working Capetonians.
The significant red and white stripes of the lighthouse signal the start of the promenade that runs along the coast leading to the sea-facing suburb of Sea Point. The Sea Point Promenade is a much-loved exercise space for joggers, skaters, cyclists, dog walkers and anyone wanting to enjoy its wide walkways that run along the ocean where big crashing waves occasionally drench joggers! From there, take the pavement to Camps Bay and grab a coffee on the rocks as people walk their pedigreed dogs across the beach on trendy leads.
Bantry Bay is another luxurious coastal suburb along Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard featuring some of Cape Town’s most luxurious boutique hotels and guest houses. And then the upmarket suburb of Clifton continues towards Camps Bay linking two of the most luxurious and expensive addresses in Cape Town.
Clifton is also famous for its pristine beaches, boasting four sandy coves edged with crystal clear icy cold water, the trendy go-to sunset beaches with cocktail and wine bars galore. In summer many of the luxury charter boats anchor off Clifton Beaches for sundowners and parties adding to the overall atmosphere of the playground of the rich and famous.
Camps Bay beach lies below the magnificent slopes of Lion’s Head and the Twelve Apostles, forming the mountainous backdrop to this trendy beach where nestle some of Cape Town’s most upmarket boutique lodges and luxury hotels. Camps Bay is wide and flat featuring bright yellow sun umbrellas and a lively promenade, its typical sunset strip of excellent restaurants with side tables that spill onto the pavement and cocktail bars that feature little dance floors to dance away the sand from your toes, once the sun goes down.
Drive further along past the luxury 5-star 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, on the famed Chapmans Peak Drive, and about 9 km beyond Camps Bay discover the secluded seaside suburb of Llandudno. Notice the enormous smooth grey boulders and sugary sands lining this beautiful cove loved by surfers from across Cape Town. Pack your own drinks, coffees and snacks as you won’t find shops or restaurants in quaint rich Llandudno. If tanning naked is your thing, Llandudno’s Sandy Bay beach is popular with nudists and there are secluded little beaches to explore amongst the rocks.
Hout Bay fishing village is next along the Atlantic Drive, its mountain peak resembling a rhino horn and aptly named The Sentinel. The real working harbour features down-to-earth restaurants oozing pub-style seafood and fish and chips. You can easily spend a few hours at Hout Bay Harbour and finish off your day with an inexpensive boat trip in a glass-bottomed boat to Duiker Island, home to a large resident seal population.
Continue this drive all the way along the staggeringly beautiful Chapmans Peak Drive to Noordhoek which leads to Kommetjie, Scarborough and eventually Cape Point – but most people who have the time opt to do that on another day. This is a drive where you want to stop and take photos, look for whales or sharks and just soak up the views. Chapmans Peak Drive is one of the world’s most beautiful drives and is also hugely popular with South Africans who stop to picnic or enjoy sundowners in what has to be some of the best mountainside ocean scenery in Africa.
