South Africa has an array of beautiful beaches. The water is delightfully warm and the waves are epic. Combine your Big Five African Safari with a beach vacation and get the best of both worlds... beach and bush!
The Eastern Cape has many beautiful Blue Flag beaches. Jeffreys Bay is one of South Africa’s major surf hangouts, its coast a long curved strip of beach after beach with popular surfing breaks. Main Beach as well as Paradise Beach are popular for swimming. The dunes double for sand-boarding, and the town boasts many famous factory shops.
Sardinia Bay’s wild sand dunes and wave swept shore lie on the other side of Port Elizabeth’s peninsula from its well-known blue flag beaches. The views are unforgettable, and the beach is stunning! Port Elizabeth is a firm favourite with other activities including water sports, dolphin and whale watching on offer.
The Sunshine Coast is a family favourite, simply because of its beauty and the fact that it’s not well known. Cannon Rocks lies just on the border of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, so you can have your bush and beach escape at just this single destination. It is also one of the best kite-surfing destinations along South Africa’s coast.
Boknes is probably the best kept secret of the Sunshine Coast with the most beautiful massive beach. A walk to the nearby Dias Cross is also a must if you're there. The lagoon is popular for swimming, canoeing and fishing.
Kenton-on-Sea With river mouths west and east of it, Kenton-on-Sea is ideal for water sports and boating. Kariega, its main beach, has blue flag status whilst Middle beach is a find for families, its long strip of gentle beach and sea riddles with tidal pools for paddling and snorkelling. Kenton beach has a stunning lagoon which flows alongside the town. Shelly Bay is a secret cove and is a protected nature reserve.
St Francis Bay beach is frequented by locals and tourists alike. There are fabulous facilities for water sports, making the beach ideal for snorkelling, surfing, fishing, and so on. In addition, the beach is close to a very special historical lighthouse and a sanctuary for injured penguins. It is also surrounded by nature reserves, creating a very pretty vista for beach-goers.
Located on a peninsula, Cape Town is surrounded by stunning beaches. These beaches boast long stretches of white-gold sand and are also set to a gorgeous natural backdrop of towering mountains and cliffs. The beaches around Cape Town are some of South Africa's best. The beaches at Clifton and Camps Bay are Cape Town’s most trendy beaches.
Heading towards Hout Bay, Llundudno beach is a favorite for beach picnics; sunbathing; and, if you can brave the cold Atlantic temperatures, body boarding and surfing.
One of the best surf beaches around Cape Town, is Muizenberg (on the False Bay side) where the water is slightly warmer. It is also a popular find for families.
About 20 kilometers to the north of Cape Town's city center on the Atlantic coast, Blouberg comprises a few different beaches, including Dolphin Beach, Small Bay, and Big Bay. If you are into kitesurfing, head to Big Bay, which is one of the top spots in the world for the sport. The beach also hosts an international kitesurfing competition annually.
Hout Bay is a suburb of Cape Town that is best reached by driving the jaw-dropping Chapman's Peak Drive. The 7.2-kilometer road runs along the Atlantic coastline between Hout Bay and Noordhoek and is one of the most stunning ocean-facing drives on the planet The beach sits between the cliffs of Chapman's Peak itself and the Hout Bay Harbour and is almost a kilometer long and backed by sand dunes. The beach here is quite wide at points and is split in the middle by a small river that you can easily cross. Hout Bay Beach is popular with families and is also dog-friendly. There is a stable nearby, and you'll often see people horseback riding along the beach.
Cape Town's longest beach, aptly named Long Beach, is south of the city center in the suburb of Kommetjie on the Atlantic coast. At eight kilometers long, it is a favorite for long walks on the powdery white sand.
Surfing and Body-boarding is also popular at Long Beach. If you enjoy a good sunset, you'll find daily explosions of color at dusk.
This part of the South African coastline is nothing short of spectacular, its authentic villages are charming, and the fauna and flora impressive. But, it also has some of the most exquisite beaches on the continent. Just outside East London are the pretty beaches of Cinsta, Yellow Sands, and Glengarriff. These are all particularly popular amongst surfers because they work well in a variety of conditions. Cintsa is a fantastic spot for the whole family, as there are long stretches of sandy shores; with plenty of place to run, walk, play beach games or build sand castles.
Coffee Bay and Mazeppa Bay are two little villages; both home to some irresistible beaches. The Coffee Bay Beach is small, strewn with pebbles and rock pools, and surrounded by the rolling hills of Coffee Bay. This is a hotspot for backpackers from around the world that are looking for secluded beaches, awesome surf, and authentic African culture. Mazeppa Bay beaches are prime fishing spots.
Just a few kilometres from here is Hole in the Wall – a magnificent natural wonder. A massive rock is perched on its own in the ocean, with a relatively small hole almost right in the centre of its base. The waves come crashing through the hole in magnificent displays. Snorkelling, swimming, and hiking around this beach promises stunning memories and impressive photographs.
Port St Johns has a distinctive “tropical island” vibe, only aided even further by the very warm waters of the Indian Ocean. It is on the mouth of the Umzimvubu River and enjoys a humid subtropical climate; perfect for beach days.
Located just 15 minutes away up the north coast from eThekwini (Durban), Umhlanga Rocks offers up an upmarket stretch of beach known for its high-rise hotels, holidaymakers, fishermen, swimmers and surfers.
With rock pools to one side and a sweeping bay to the other, Sodwana Bay Beach is the preferred destination of deep-sea fishermen, scuba divers, snorkelling fans and swimmers.
The Indian Ocean is known for its warm waters, which lap the KwaZulu-Natal coastline lazily and make for great swimming conditions. And it is these warm waters, coupled with the lush subtropical greenery and almost year-round warm weather that make Hibberdene Beach such a special one. This beach is located on the South Coast.
Families love Margate Beach for the safe swimming conditions. There is a tidal pool, where the children enjoy playing because it is calm and relatively shallow. More than this, the wide sandy beach is fabulous for sunbathing, building sandcastles, running, walking, and playing an endless variety of beach games. There is a paved footpath that runs for a kilometres along the beach. The whale deck is just perfect for the show that southern rights and humpbacks put on every year when they pass here (usually between July and December).
Amanzimtoti Beach borders the warm Indian Ocean which makes the water ideal for all year round swimming, snorkelling, diving, surfing and family beach fun. This sandy beach in Amanzimtoti has permant life guards on duty (all year round) and there is adequate parking and plenty of restaurants and bars to visit after a day of sand and sun.
Holiday beach activities for kids are offered during the high-holiday season and Splash Water World, which is situated on the beach, will provide hours of entertainment for kids, leaving you free to relax and work on your tan!
The Garden Route is a 300km-long Coastal route that runs around South Africa’s southern coast. , starting in Storms River Mouth in the Eastern Cape and ending in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape province. The Garden Route is dotted with beautiful beaches and bays and features lakes, mountains, tall indigenous forests, amber -coloured rivers and golden beaches. Various activities are on offer including boating, fishing, zip-line, hiking trails, and so much more. The scenery is spectacular and provides an unforgettable holiday experience. The combination of golden sand, crashing waves and un-interupted beach make Wilderness Beach an incredible beach destination. It is also an excellent beach for dolphin- and whale spotting. Pletternberg Bay is a surfers paradise and is a very popular holiday destination. . Knysna is known for its massive estuary lagoon, and its banks a fabulous spot for picnics and a dip in the shallow, tranquil waters. Buffalo Bay, Brenton Beach and Hartenbos are very popular destinations and provide for excellent swimming and a host of water activities. Mossel Bay is another firm favourite for tourists wanting a fantastic beach holiday. Santos beach and Pinnacle Point are a must for visitors wanting to soak up the sun and get some Vitamin Sea.