The fishing harbour
Colourful boats and fish restaurants.
dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Islahaddow — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wouter In T Velt — CC0
Hout Bay is a seaside town and fishing harbour in a valley of the Cape Peninsula, part of the City of Cape Town. Its name means «Wood Bay» in Afrikaans. It keeps a rural feel despite being close to the city, and visitors come for the fishing harbour, the beach and the Sentinel peak above the entrance to the bay. The area was originally two farms, slowly subdivided as the town grew, and it had about 18,000 residents in the 2011 census. The name recalls forests from which the Dutch took timber in colonial times. Fishing has long been an important part of town life, and large and small boats still lie in the harbour. In the harbour you see colourful, rust-streaked fishing boats and restaurants serving fish, and boat trips set out from here. The sandy beach runs along the head of the bay, while the sharp rocky Sentinel rises above the water. The famous Chapman's Peak Drive starts from the town, with wide views over the bay. It is 16 km in a straight line from central Cape Town, reached by car or on a peninsula tour. The water is cold, so do not expect a warm swim, and ask before going in. The finest picture of the bay comes from a high point on Chapman's Peak Drive before sunset. It fits well into a peninsula tour.
Colourful boats and fish restaurants.
Rising above the bay's entrance.
Wide views over the bay.
Cape Peninsula, southwest of Cape Town
In Afrikaans it means «Wood Bay».
It is cold, so do not expect a warm swim, and ask about conditions first.