Cape Town - Oudekraal beach is one of the most beautiful, secluded spots in Cape Town.
This little rocky cove is part of the Table Mountain National Park and for a small entry fee you can spend the day swimming, sun tanning and relaxing while having a braai or picnic.
There is a small parking area off Victoria Road, just past the Twelve Apostles Hotel (driving from Camps Bay to Hout Bay). From there you walk down to the beach and picnic sites.
If you’re planning to be there all day chances are you’ll have a lot to carry, so remember this for when you have to climb back up all those stairs later. We took care of part of the problem by eating as much of our meat as we could, and burning all the wood.
There are several sites where you can braai, with concrete tables and seats; the best one is right on the beach but they all have lovely views.
Even so, it’s a good idea to get there as early as possible to stake your claim, unless you can go during the week when it’s quieter and not so crowded.
The grass is a little yellow and dry at the moment, but that’s summer for you. There are clean ablution blocks with showers and even soap and loo paper.
The water is calm and shallow so it’s safe to swim and children can splash around. Despite being the Atlantic Ocean, it’s often not too icy. Take your goggles and snorkel and spy on the fish. The beach is small, especially at high tide, but you can make like a lizard and bask on top of the huge boulders.
l Oudekraal is open from 8am till 6pm in summer, and the entry/conservation fee is R35 for adults and R20 for children aged 2 to 11. If you have a Wild Card or TMNP My Green Card, it’s free. There’ll be more about these cards and what you get with them in an upcoming Fun Finder story. Call 021 438 9555 or 021 712 7471 for more information, or go to www.sanparks.org.
Weekend Argus