SA’s Best Beaches For The Ultimate Summer Holiday
Written By: Renate Engelbrecht
If there is one country where a summer holiday is synonymous with the Festive Season, it’s South Africa. With so many beautiful beaches to choose from for the ultimate summer getaway, celebrating Christmas and New Year’s by the coast is a no-brainer.
The key is to book your accommodation way in advance and to know where to go. So, if not for this year, let this serve as guideline for next year’s ultimate summer holiday!
Plettenberg Bay’s Beaches
Plett has been awarded eight international Blue Flag Awards for the 2024/2025 season, which means it’s a must for your summer bucket list. They’ve also received a Green Coast Award for Nature’s Valley at the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards.
According to Patty Butterworth, CEO of Plett Tourism, the beautiful surroundings – the ocean, the beaches, the forests and the mountains – are what life revolves around in Plett.
“That’s why we fight so fiercely to protect them. This vision is shared with our local Bitou Municipality, our marine activities and conservation initiatives.”
Plett’s Blue Flag beaches include: Robberg 5, The Waves, Nature’s Valley, Lookout, The Dunes and Singing Kettle. In addition, they also received Blue Flag status for seal-swimming operator, Offshore Adventures’ two boats. Both Robberg 5 and Lookout Beach received special awards, celebrating fifteen and ten years in the Blue Flag programme respectively.
Further to this, Plett was also nominated as the World’s Leading Beach Destination in the World Travel Awards. While the destination has been nominated as Africa’s Leading Beach Destination for fifteen years in a row, this year marks its first global nomination. It is now placed alongside renowned beach destinations like Thailand, Hawaii and the Maldives.
Jeffreys Bay Makes Waves
Known by locals as J-Bay, Jeffreys Bay is the surfing capital of South Africa. In fact, it hosts the J Bay Open annually and has one of the best right-hand point breaks in the world.
These Supertubes are found at Dolphin Beach and that’s where surfers and surfing enthusiasts can expect some great beach entertainment. While Dolphin Beach is perfect for the more seasoned surfers, the Point offers some smaller waves for novice surfers.
Cape Town‘s Icy Atlantic
While the water is freezing all year round, the renowned Cape Town vibe won’t let the icy Atlantic get you down. Especially in summer.
Camps Bay Beach is probably Cape Town’s most popular sundowner spot. It has a strip of cafés all along Victoria Road, parallel to the beach. The Camps Bay Tidal Pool – on the southern side of Camps Bay – is one of the best along the Atlantic Seaboard. Furthermore, it offers fabulous swims with marvellous views. Over weekends, this stretch of beach livens up further with people surfing, kayaking and stand-up paddling.
The four Clifton Beaches are also worth putting your feet in the sand at. Clifton Beach 4 probably is probably the most frequented among the four. This is in part due the posh neighbourhood’s stylish and Instagrammable villas overlooking the beach. Here, you can be posh too by renting beach loungers and umbrellas for those hot summer days.
And, Bloubergstrand is one of the Cape’s most famous beaches and for many reasons. One of these reasons being that the view of Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Lion’s Head from this beach is simply spectacular. Bloubergstrand can often be quite windy, which makes it the perfect spot for kitesurfing too.
Durban’s Dreamy Seaside
The Durban coastline has proved time and again that its beaches, with their warmer waters, are simply irresistible. While December and January might be too crowded for many, it’s good to know that these beaches are just as irresistible during the shoulder seasons. Durban’s moderate temperatures allow you to celebrate summer all year round. It’s the perfect time to truly enjoy the city’s natural beauty without the hustle and bustle of peak season.
With uMhlanga being a popular resort town just north of Durban, uMhlanga Rocks Beach is the ideal spot for a summer holiday. Apart from clean and safe surroundings, the public spaces on and around the beach are well maintained, the beach is lifeguard-patrolled and the area is known for its strong sense of community.
In addition, uMhlanga Beach and other pristine north coast beaches are easily accessible from hotels. One such example is the 60s surf-inspired Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! By Marriott uMhlanga Ridge. Known for its iconic lighthouse and long promenade, uMhlanga Beach boasts the ideal setting for those wanting to embrace the beach lifestyle.
There’s also the uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve, where outdoor enthusiasts can explore hiking trails through a coastal forest and past ancient dune formations. Or, if you’re looking for a peaceful beach retreat, book a stay at Protea Hotel by Marriott Karridene Beach, where you’ll have private access to Karridene Beach – a hidden gem on the South Coast. This beach’s golden sand and inviting waters is perfect for a secluded holiday. It boasts the perfect setting for leisurely beach walks or some early morning fishing.
West Coast Beach Gems
If nature, bird- and marine life is more what you’re looking for, De Hoop Nature Reserve’s incredible marine protected area is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It boasts rolling dunes and white sand laced by the Atlantic Ocean’s incoming waves. This is a beach destination where you can often spot dolphins, whales and unique seabirds. There are many rockpools too, where you can search for starfish, rare anemones and even the odd octopus.
Kraalbaai is the alternative to the much busier Langebaan Beach. Located within the West Coast National Park, this beach is a popular weekend destination for Capetonians. It’s a mere 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town and offers a very different experience than the beaches that lace the Mother City. You can reach Kraalbaai Beach by driving through the national park. Or, those keen on some summer fun can kayak across the Langebaan Lagoon.
Of course, there are many other beaches worth exploring on the South African coast. Perhaps this serves as a reminder to plan ahead and dream about journeying along the country’s coastline, one beach at a time.
