Reasons To Love Cape Town’s False Bay

In all my time spent in Cape Town, I just can’t seem to get enough of that False Bay magic! It’s hard to describe exactly what it is that keeps drawing me in. Perhaps it’s the blissful beachy laid-back False Bay vibe, or the endless hidden gems & hideaways it has to discover. Or maybe it’s all the cool, charismatic coastal towns – each with their own unique flair & personality. Oh, and the beaches! DEFINITELY the beaches! But, whatever it is, I’m hooked, hanging on every bit, going back for more again and again.

Point is I’ve discovered the False Bay pot of gold and now I want ALL of it! So here are a couple of False Bay beaches that stole my heart & are guaranteed to steal yours too.

#Boulders Beach: An African Penguin Paradise

Located just past Simons Town, along the vibrant False Bay coastline, about 40km south of Cape Town, is where you’ll find the magical Boulders Beach. What makes a visit to Boulders Beach extra special is it’s cute and charismatic colony of African Penguins that have claimed the beloved Boulders Beach as their own. Boulders Beach is home to an amazing African Penguin Viewing Site – the boardwalks provide excellent vantage points to watch the penguins – as well as Boulders Beach itself where you can actually spend the day on the beach with these cool Cape Town ocean locals. Trust me, sharing your piece of Boulders beach paradise with these tuxedo cuties will be an absolute pleasure in every way!

Boulders Beach is actually a paying beach & all visitors will need to pay an entrance fee (which forms part of a conservation project) to gain access to the African Penguin Viewing Site and Boulders Beach. if you’re lucky enough to get the opportunity to go onto the beach you are in for quite a special treat!

Picture this: You’ve got your towel laid down, you’re stretched out, and soaking up all the glorious Cape Town sun and suddenly a penguin comes strolling by, even spending a bit of time on a comfortable corner of your towel, then you decide to take a dip in the ocean only to be joined by your penguin friend moments later zooming past your legs – YES, THIS ACTUALLY ALL HAPPENED! How incredibly cool is that?! The only problem with Boulders Beach however is, that EVERYONE wants a piece of it, it’s that magical! So if you want a spot you, better be prepared to get up nice & early – well, what is a 5am rise if you get to be up close and personal with these ocean cuties?

**Insider Tip: Did you know that Boulders Beach is one of the only places in the world where you can actually get up close and personal with the charismatic African Penguins?

#Water’s Edge: A Cape Town secret beach gem

This is a Simonstown hidden gem that not too many people know about. But once you find it, you won’t want to leave it. To this day this is still one of my favourite beaches in Cape Town, and that’s saying a lot. One of the main reasons being that it’s more of a Bay and I’m all about living that Bay life! Don’t get me wrong I love a beautiful stretched-out beach as much as the next person, but there’s something quite magical about a more secluded Bay. And that’s exactly what Water’s Edge is. It’s positioned right next to Boulders Beach, so you still get a bit of that vibe too! This is definitely one to look out for!

#Muizenberg Beach: Chilled vibes & good-surfing times is the Muizenberg way of life

Surf’s up, sun-kissed, salty-hair, and sandy-feet is Muizenberg to a T! Located along the False Bay coastline, approximately 27km (around 30 minutes) from the Cape Town City Centre, the captivating seaside suburb & cool beachfront town of Muizenberg is known for its laid-back beach vibe, and surfs-up, suns-out approach to life. Yeah, the cool, quirky, and charismatic Cape Town neighbourhood of Muizenberg is all about the surf, sun, and epic beachfront-fun, and I definitely won’t want it any other way!

Famous for its colourful beach huts that make their way onto picture-perfect postcards of Cape Town ever so often, this loooong sandy beach offers a pretty good time! Plus, it truly is surfer’s paradise! I haven’t learnt to surf just yet – trust me, it’s on my bucket list – but once I do, this is where I’ll go! Muizenberg beach is everything you want in a beach, plus it’s got plenty of surrounding restaurants and watering holes when you feel a bit parched!

#Kalk Bay

Kalk Bay is by far one of my favourite fishing villages found on the coats of False Bay. It’s hard to explain exactly what it is that draw me in about this charming beach side town, but I kind of think it’s EVERYTHING. Like, if I could be a town, I think I would want to be Kalk Bay. That’s how cool it is! And if you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Forbes, because guess what? Kalk Bay was named one of the “coolest neighbourhoods in the world” on a recent Forbes list – how incredible is that! Whether you’re just strolling along the Kalk Bay streets & exploring all the arty and on-trend shops they have or if you’re grabbing a bite to eat at one of their many incredible restaurants and Café’s – the Kalk Bay bug is certainly bound to bite you & you’ll keep going back for more! Trust me! Oh, and if you’re in the mood for ice cream – ICE CAFÉ IS THE BEST!

Besides these 4 False Bay gems you should definitely also check out the following beaches: St James Beach; Fish Hoek beach; Clovelly Beach; Windmill Beach, Oh and Dalebrook tidal pool – not a beach but still worth the visit!