Beaches 101: The ultimate summer guide to Cape Town

Cape Town - South Africa has over 2 500km of coastline, which explains why come summer, most of Mzansi's people can be found lounging away on the world-renowned beaches. 

Scattered all the way from Namibia's border on the Atlantic, to the tip of Mozambique on the Indian Ocean side, there's enough sandy shores for everyone and their cousin to enjoy. 

The south-western tip of SA - Cape Town - is without a doubt one of the most popular beach spots in the country - and worldwide. Earlier this year, for example, US News & World Report voted the Mother City the 11th Best Vacation Destination to Visit globally. 

Cape Town's beaches, specifically, have been ranked 2nd best in the world by National Geographic too, with the iconic Clifton beaches making their mark. 

This summer, Cape Town's beaches are to be as popular an attraction as ever. And with 20% of some 31 000 News24's readers indicating that they'll be making their way to the coast this holiday season, it's best you get schooled on where, what and how to make the best of your Cape Town beach holiday this summer.

Here's what you need to know: 

Alerts & Info – Summer safety 

With the festive season fast approaching, the City of Cape Town has been making an effort to increase the safety for beach-goers over the summer season. 

Sharks are very prevalent in the cool Atlantic waters around Cape Town, but excellent structures are in place to prevent any incidents that may be damaging to humans or sharks. 

The Shark Spotters Programme - aimed at protecting ocean lovers and ocean creatures - will operate in eight beaches in Cape Town from Saturday 1 October to Monday 1 May 2017. 

A total of 30 shark spotters and 10 net crew members were employed to boost the safety on the beaches during the upcoming summer season.

To make summer shark safety even easier, Shark Spotters has also released their app ahead of the festive season. The Shark Spotters app provides water users with current and accurate shark safety information on their smartphones so they can make informed decisions about shark risks, even before arriving at the beach. 

The app gives users access to real-time information, allowing the Shark Spotters to render a more efficient and effective service to the community.

SEE: Safe surfing with new Shark Spotters app!

It also contains the vitally important flag system online, able to indicate to ocean lovers which flag is currently flying, and why. 

The flags fly for various reasons, including: 

poor spotting conditions due to cloud cover

confirmed shark sightings

an indication of water temperature

the lunar phase

an indication of whether the shark exclusion barrier in Fish Hoek has been deployed or not

You can familiarise yourself with the colour-coded flag system here: 

A red flag indicates a Shark Alert. This flag will be flown during periods of increased shark activity, after a shark has recently been spotted in the area and the beach cleared, or when conditions are conducive to high shark activity. 

A green flag means that the spotting conditions are good and no sharks have been seen. 

A black flag means that the spotting conditions are poor, but no sharks have been seen. 

A white flag with a black shark diagram means that a shark is currently near the beach, and beach users must get out of the water. A siren is sounded and the white flag is raised. 

Shark Spotters will operate at the following beaches throughout summer: 

Muizenberg: Monday – Sunday, 08:00 – 18:00

St James/Kalk Bay: Monday – Sunday, 08:00 – 18:00

Fish Hoek: Monday – Sunday, 07:00 – 18:45

Caves, Kogel Bay: Monday – Sunday, 08:00 – 18:00

Noordhoek (The Hoek): Monday – Sunday, 08:00 – 18:00 (September to May)

Clovelly: Weekends, public holidays and school holidays, 10:00 – 17:00

Glencairn: Weekends, public holidays and school holidays, 08:00 – 18:00

Monwabisi: Weekends, public holidays and school holidays, 08:00 – 18:00

Cape Town's most popular beaches 

Now that you have safety under the belt, you're free to have a good time. But be advised: most beaches forbid the use of alcohol - to ensure beach-goers' safety and curb pollution. 

Unless you're heading to the secret beaches (see below) with your own picnic pack, be sure to stick to the rules of the official Blue Flag Beaches of Cape Town. 

Blue Flag Beaches are beaches that meet the national standards for accessibility, facilities and amenities, safety (lifeguards), cleanliness and responsibility towards the environment. The Blue Flag beaches also always forbid the use of alcohol on the beach, unless the local municipalities state otherwise. 

READ: Cape Town Beach Bars to visit in Summer

In and around Cape Town, the official Blue Flag Beaches for the 2016/2017 season are: 

Silwerstroomstrand 

Clifton 4th  

Camps Bay   

Llandudno   

Muizenberg  

Strandfontein  

Mnandi  

Bikini   

Melkbosstrand   

Fish Hoek  

Kleinmond 

Hawston   

Grotto 

Navigate your way through Cape Town busy streets to the most popular beaches using our handy map: 

SEE PICS: Top 10 Cape beaches to visit this summer!

Cape Town's Specialised beaches

Nothing is as relaxing as having a beach day - lounging away in the sun for the whole day... But five consecutive days of lounging can get a bit boring, let's be honest. If you're after some activity, here are our favourite beach activities to do this summer. 

Touchies hubs

Touch rugby on the beach in summer is a South African favourite. Despite it being all fun and games for spectators, the touchies tournament is a series championship for participants. The games travel all along SA's beaches to the most popular hubs, including Stillbay and Hartenbos. 

The fun kicks off in Cape Town, of course. 

This year, the 2016 Touchies tournament will be in Cape Town for the following dates: 10 December – Muizenberg16 December – Strand18 December – Onrus21 December – Muizenberg

Dog friendly beaches

Not all beaches are pup-friendly in Cape Town, unfortunately. But don't fret, there are places where your pawed pal can enjoy the summer vibe too.

These are the beaches where dogs are allowed without a leash: Clifton 1stBeta beach in BakovenSunset in Sea PointFroggy PondThe middle section of Hout Bay beachLong beach KommetjieLong beach Simon"s Town

Dogs are also very welcome on the Sea Point promenade. 

Kite surfing beaches 

Kiteboarders flock to Cape Town's Big Bay and Blouberg along the West Coast like surfers do to Hawaii's Big Island. And while the notorious South-Easter might be a bummer for many Capetonians, kiteboarding locals and international kiteboarding professionals pray for these winds to never settle. 

SEE: Blouberg – the Capital of Kiteboarding

Apart from Blouberg, the Langebaan Lagoon further up the West Coast also makes for the ideal kite surfing conditions - especially if you're just starting out. 

Surfing

The Mother City is home to some of the best waves in the world - you just need to know where to catch them. Our favourite hides include Muizenberg beach, Long Beach, Big Bay, Scarborough Beach, Glen Beach, Llandudno and the ever-feared Dungeons.

If you're only still testing the waters with surfing, Cape Town is also the place to be. Many surf schools operate around the major beaches. And as traveller Nadia Krige will tell you, there's a lot surfing can teach you about life... 

READ: A South African traveller's perspective: What surfing can teach you about life

PS - Apart from surfing, the Cape Town water is also great for kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding. Clifton 4th beach rents out gear to ocean explorers, if you're looking for an exciting beach activity to do. 

Kids 

If you're looking for some family fun with the little ones this holiday season, you've got you covered. Just make sure you pack enough sunblock to cover the kids! 

Our favourite family beaches in Cape Town are Blouberg, Boulders, St James and Clifton 1st. 

Do you have a different favourite? Share your beach secrets with us at info@traveller24.co.za 

Secret beaches of Cape Town and surrounds

Crowded beaches are fun and vibey, but it can get tiring to have to share your umbrella shade with the masses. 

If you're after a more secluded beach experience, Cape Town and surrounds have a few secret spots the locals don't want you to know about... 

If you want to combine your beach day with a little bit of a road trip, a journey up the West Coast is just the thing. Apart from the exquisite secret beaches up the Atlantic, the Weskus is also a hub for foodies and adventurers alike. 

And in the Mother City's midst, Beta Beach steals our hearts for being such a sly sweet spot in the heart of Cape Town. Check out: 7 Secret beaches in Cape Town for more. 

What to read next on Traveller24: 

- PICS: Blue Flags fly high along the KZN coast this summer

- PICS: Top 10 Cape beaches to visit this summer!

- Table Mountain Cableway opens half-price Sunset Special for summer

Source: Beaches 101: The ultimate summer guide to Cape Town