Accommodation in the False Bay/Helderberg area of the Western Cape, South Africa
Clovelly & Gordon's Bay Bed & Breakfasts, Guest Houses & Self-Catering

FALSE BAY TRAVEL GUIDE, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

The False Bay seaboard curves south in a huge arc from Gordon's Bay stretching past the Strand, Muizenberg and ending at Cape Point. A variety of village-like suburbs nestle between the mountains and coast from Muizenberg to  Simon’s Town. For surfers and bathers the water on this side of the Peninsula is blissfully warmer by a few degrees. The Metrorail line conveniently snakes along the coast with frequent stops and one can hop off here and there to explore.

View map of False Bay

Muizenberg was once the trendiest beachfront in Cape Town. Agatha Christie liked to holiday and catch a wave here. It’s looking rather decayed these days, the glamour of the 1920s scarcely evident in the crumbling facades of condemned Art Deco buildings along the beachfront. Plans are afoot to radically upgrade this area by the Waterfront developers so check it out before it gets a facelift.

A safe swimming beach fringed with vibrantly painted bathing huts, lots of surf schools and shops, trendy cafes, restaurants, easy parking and a waterslide still make it a popular destination.

Starting at the Edwardian-style Muizenberg station, the “Historical Mile” is an easy amble along the shore. Stop in for tea at the Natale Labia Museum, explore the Rhodes Cottage museum and view Posthuys, a rustic thatched Cape vernacular style building. Built in 1673 it’s arguably the oldest building in South Africa.
This brings one to St James, a much prettier suburb than Muizenberg with its own tiny beach, tidal pool and bright Victorian-style bathing houses.

Kalk Bay is an amazing place with a vibrant, bohemian atmosphere. There’s a quaint fishing harbour, trendy cafes, restaurants and interesting antique shops. It’s also Cape Town’s only true fish market where one can choose fresh fish straight off the wooden boats.

Just around the corner, Fish Hoek is not a place where you’ll be shaking your money-maker. Essentially a white retirement village, the old fogies have outlawed the sale of liquor. The beach is the main attraction here and it definitely has the best swimming beach. The sheltered bay makes it an attractive launch site for paddlers and hobby-cat sailors. There’s a play park for children and a good beachfront restaurant. From here, scenic Jager’s Walk fringes the rocky shore ending at Sunny Cove. It’s a good place to do some whale spotting or snorkelling in the rock pools.

Picturesque Simon’s Town sits at the end of the Metrorail line and has a delightful nautical atmosphere. It has so much going for it, from cheerful naval officers striding about, a cobbled town square, a yacht marina, good restaurants and the only breeding colony of penguins on the mainland, situated at Boulder's Beach. One could easily spend an entire day here and it’s an excellent stopover on the way to Cape Point.

HELDERBERG TRAVEL GUIDE, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

CLOVELLY ACCOMMODATION - FALSE BAY, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

GORDON'S BAY ACCOMMODATION - FALSE BAY/HELDERBERG, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Gordon's Bay is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, close to Strand. It is situated on the northeastern corner of False Bay about 50 km from Cape Town. Gordon's Bay is the smallest of three towns in the Helderberg region, so named after the Helderberg Mountain which is part of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains which dwarf the locality on two sides. The third side being the Cape Peninsula's False Bay. Gordon's Bay originally named "Fish Hoek", many years before the town of the same name, located on the western arm of False Bay, was founded. Evidence of this can be seen on the outside wall of the local Post Office.

View map of Gordon's Bay

The town, still considered a village by many residents, is located opposite the "Sleeping Giant" of Table Mountain 60km from Cape Town which can be reached via the N2 (South Africa) freeway. Gordon's Bay also has the benefit of being only a 10 minute drive from the start of the Stellenbosch Wine Route - a must for any visitor to the area.

The "village" comprises three parts. The "old village", situated around the old harbour, "Bikini Beach" and the main beach by the public car park, the "Mountainside", which lies along the lower slopes of the eastern side of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains and the "Flat Gordon’s Bay". This area is the most recent part of "the village".

The older part of Gordon's Bay is host to the South African Navy's Naval College, an officer training center located adjacent to the old harbour and yacht marina. Above the harbour on the mountainside, is a giant anchor and the letters "GB". Many think that this stands for Gordon's Bay, but in fact it stands for General Botha which was the original name of the Naval station in the town. The Steenbras Dam, Cape Town's primary supply of drinking water, is located on the mountain above the town.

GORDON'S BAY BED & BREAKFAST/GUEST HOUSE ACCOMMODATION - FALSE BAY/HELDERBERG

GORDON'S BAY SELF-CATERING/VACATION RENTAL ACCOMMODATION - FALSE BAY/HELDERBERG

GORDON'S BAY HOTELS - FALSE BAY / HELDERBERG