Horse riding on the beach
Guided rides along Hout Bay Beach and into the dunes, run by local stables in the valley.
activity
Photo: Mike Peel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and recompressed.
beachFreeDogs welcomeGood with kidsGood at sunsetParking nearbySwimming
Hout Bay Beach
A long, flat crescent of white sand with the Sentinel at one end and Chapman's Peak at the other. The valley's living room.
Hout Bay Beach runs about a kilometre and a half from the harbour end to the Chapman's Peak end. It is broad and flat, which makes it excellent for walking, running, kite flying and horses, and merely acceptable for swimming — the water is Atlantic cold and the shore break can be sharp.
The southeaster funnels down the valley in summer and picks the sand up with it. On those days the beach belongs to the kite surfers. On a still autumn morning it is as good as anywhere in the world.
Dogs are a large part of the beach's social life. Parking is along Beach Road and at the Chapman's Peak end.
Close by
Within a few minutes of here.
Hout Bay Harbour
A working fishing harbour, not a marina. Trawlers, seals on the slipway, and fish and chips eaten off paper.
heritage
Bay Harbour Market
A weekend market in a converted fish factory by the harbour. Food, makers, live music, and most of the valley.
market