The best beaches in South Africa
The top 3 according to 853 votes from people: Camps Bay · Clifton 4th Beach · Llandudno. (Updated Jan 3, 2026.)
Cape Town's Atlantic coves, penguins at Boulders and the Garden Route.
Top 12
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1
Camps Bay
White sand below the Twelve Apostles.
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2
Clifton 4th Beach
Blue Flag cove sheltered by granite boulders.
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3
Llandudno
Secluded cove with surf.
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4
Muizenberg
Colourful beach huts and beginner surf.
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5
Noordhoek Long Beach
8 km of sand and horse rides.
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6
Scarborough
Wild beach on the Cape Peninsula.
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7
Robberg Beach (Plettenberg Bay)
Garden Route beach by the nature reserve.
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8
Boulders Beach
Swim with the African penguin colony.
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9
Umhlanga Rocks
Warm Indian Ocean water near Durban.
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10
Coffee Bay
Wild Coast and Hole in the Wall.
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11
Jeffreys Bay
World-famous right-hand surf break.
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12
Sodwana Bay
Diving on coral reefs in KwaZulu-Natal.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (11)
Boulders with the penguins is a must, kids lost their minds
Camps Bay at sunset with the Twelve Apostles behind, can't beat it
Sodwana diving is world class and people don't talk about it enough
Clifton 4th is the best for swimming but that Atlantic water is freezing!
Haha yes, the Atlantic side is ice cold. Go to Muizenberg for slightly warmer water
Coffee Bay and the Hole in the Wall are wild, worth the drive
Jeffreys Bay for surf, the swell there is legendary
Robberg beach and then the hike around the peninsula, amazing day
Llandudno is my favourite, smaller and more local
Umhlanga for warm water, totally different vibe from Cape Town
no Hermanus? ok it's more for whales than beaches