Elands Bay Beach
A surfer's West Coast outpost — a long, empty, swell-reliable beach behind a reed-lined lagoon, two hours from Cape Town.
Trip Role
Ideal stay
Best for
Our take
This is a serious surf destination, not a holiday resort; respect the ocean and the isolation.
This is a serious surf destination, not a holiday resort; respect the ocean and the isolation.
- Trip Role
- Worth a Detour
- Ideal Stay
- a full day
- Time Needed
- half day
- Best For
- experienced surfers and solitude seekers
- Go If
- You are a competent surfer chasing a solid southwest swell or someone who prefers solitude over amenities.
Why it's worth your time
Elands Bay is a raw, wind-swept outpost defined by its legendary left-hand point break. It offers a stark, industrial beauty where the desert meets the cold Atlantic, far removed from the manicured beaches of the Cape Peninsula.
What we love
The sheer length of the ride when the swell hits the rock bottom just right.
What to know
The water is frigid, there are no lifeguards, and the beach can smell strongly of kelp and decaying marine life.
More beach in Western Cape
Arniston (Waenhuiskrans)
A whitewashed Overberg fishing village with a sheltered beach, a sea cave, and the Kassiesbaai fishermen's cottages — the prettiest village on the south coast.
Bikini Beach
A tiny sheltered cove at Gordon's Bay — False Bay's warmest, most protected swimming spot.
Boulders Beach
A sheltered cove of granite boulders and an African penguin colony, half an hour from central Cape Town.
Buffalo Bay (Buffelsbaai)
A long, dune-backed beach near Knysna — dolphins most mornings and a surf break at the point.
Camps Bay
Cape Town's glamorous Atlantic-Seaboard beach — palm-lined, sunset-facing, and crowded for good reason.
Clifton 4th Beach
Four coves of sheltered white sand below Clifton's apartment stacks — wind-free when the rest of the coast is howling.