Hout Bay, Cape Town

Affectionately called "the Republic of Hout Bay" by its residents, the town is only a 20 minute drive from the Cape Town city centre.

The name is a Dutch name and when translated means Wood Bay as it was here where timber was cut to help build Cape Town.

The local beach is a lovely family beach, popular with horse riders, dog walkers and kayakers. The horse riders have easy access to the beach for rides from stables close by. Also see Cape Town Horseriding.

The Beach extends from the beginning of Chapman's Peak Drive curving around to the Harbour.

The protected bay is almost always calm and offers safe swimming and a range of water sports from paddling to kite surfing and sailing.

Dolphins, whales and seals can sometimes be spotted in the bay.

What to do:

Accommodation

Spend a week-end to discover the town - Hout Bay Accommodation

Mariner's Wharf

The focal point of the town, is the harbour complex called Mariner's Wharf. (Buy yourself fish and chips at the Seafood Bistro and enjoy it on the harbour wall - yummy!)

The Hout Bay Yacht Club is situated in the harbour and provides moorings for both recreational, fishing and sailing boats.
From here you can do game fishing, sea kayaking, sunset champagne cruises to the V&A Waterfront and boat trips to Seal Island.

The Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing contest

The Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing contest is held on the other side of the Sentinel mountain, at the famous Dungeons.
Some of the biggest waves in the world are found here and these attract surfers from all over the world.
The competition can only be held during May to August, when the waves reach heights of 15-20 ft.

Drives

The only way to get into town, is by using three extremely scenic drives.

• Chapman’s Peak
  Although a toll road, it remains one of the most beautiful and awesome routes in Cape Town.
  It has recently undergone renovations to ensure the safety of travelers using the route.
• Suikerbossie Hill
  The route over Suikerbossie Hill to Llandudno and other Atlantic beaches of Cape Town, is equally inspiring.
• Constantia Nek
  The road that joins up with the Constantia Wine Route, over Constantia Nek, provides a view of False Bay and takes you into the beautiful Constantia Valley.

World of Birds

Situated on four hectares in the Hout Bay valley this tropical garden setting with more than 400 species of birds, makes World of Birds a must visit attraction.

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