St James Pool & Huts
Photo Caption: Who’d like to cool off in one of Cape Town’s many #tidalpools?
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Photo by @naturewithoutgravity
The small sheltered beach known as St. James beach lies on the False Bay coastline. This beach is one of the most visited beaches and most popular areas to explore in Cape Town. It is popular for its rock pools, series of iconic colourful wooden beach huts and a large man-made tidal pool.
The railway station and the main road are just a few steps away from the beach, making St. James very accessible to the public. It is also relatively sheltered from the southeasterly wind which makes the pool warmer than the other pools in the surrounding sea.
A Firm Local Favourite Tidal Pool
The St. James beach is amazingly clean. The locals are very fond of the tidal pool, especially during summer. If you want to avoid the crowds, go for an early morning swim and enjoy as the sun rises on the horizon. Aside from the tidal pool, St. James is also home to the colorful, vibrant, wooden beach huts. These structures make for interesting and eye-catching photographs, popular in and around Cape Town.
The beach has no entry fee, there is usually a security guard, with full ablution facilities open from 8AM to 5PM and parking is available on the main road. There are also no shops close to the tidal pool, so it is best to bring some snacks and drinks before heading out.
Its delightful appeal, vibrant beach huts, rock pools, and the large tidal pool makes St. James an ideal place to relax and have a safe and fun swimming with the family. Muizenberg was included in the Big 7 Travel list of “50 Most Instagrammable Spots in South Africa” for its colourful beach huts, but we think St. James is almost more charming, with its own set of colourful changing room huts.
How to get there:
By Car.
If you have a car you can drive along the M3 towards Muizenberg, then continue on towards Fish Hoek on main road/M4. A few kilometres after Muizenberg you will see the St James pool and huts across the railway tracks.
By Train.
You can catch the train to St James via the scenic southern line from the main Cape Town station.
