Page 153 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

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2 Atlantic Seaboard
Victoria Rd. Map 3 B2–5.
Shortly after the Sea Point
Swimming Pool, Beach Road
runs via Queens into Victoria
Road, which winds southward
along Cape Town’s Atlantic
Seaboard. Bantry Bay, Clifton,
Camps Bay and Llandudno
are the desirable addresses
along this steep stretch of
coast, which is flanked by
million-dollar homes with
spacious terraces and
glittering swimming pools.
With incomparable views A good meal and sweeping sea views at a Camps Bay restaurant
and beautiful beaches right
on their doorsteps, this is the the other three are accessible summer months. Backed
haunt of the wealthy. only from the road via steep by Lion’s Head and the
The coastal route extends flights of stairs. The Atlantic’s Twelve Apostles, Camps
all the way to idyllic Hout waters are icy, but the beaches Bay’s lovely setting has
Bay, which lies over the are sheltered from the strong been the inspiration for the
sad dle that separates the southeasterly gales by Lion’s establishment of a number
Twelve Apostles mountain Head, so during the summer of luxurious hotels and a
range from the peak of Little months all of the four beaches string of good restaurants.
Lion’s Head. The 12 impressive are tremen dously popular with Llandudno arguably has
sandstone buttresses, named sunseekers, and the resulting the city’s most beautiful little
after the biblical apostles by traffic con gestion is enormous. beach, about 10 km (6 miles)
Sir Rufane Donkin, one-time Victoria Road con tinues east of Camps Bay. The small
governor of the British Cape along the shore past Maiden’s elite residential area, settled
Colony, flank the Riviera’s Cove, which has a tidal pool on a rocky promontory at the
suburbs. First is Bantry Bay, and good public facilities, and foot of the mountain known
whose luxury apartments, Glen Beach, which has no as Little Lion’s Head, is first
many supported on concrete amenities but is frequented spotted from the cliff top. Its
stilts, are built into the steep nonetheless by surfers and curve of pristine white beach
mountain slope. sunbathers. At Camps Bay, and distilled turquoise sea is
Trendy Clifton follows, with the broad sweep of beach a favourite spot from which to
its four famous small beaches lined with tall, stately palms toast the sunset. A 20-minute
separated by granite boulders. is another very popular spot, walk to the west over the rocky
Fourth Beach is especially although the southeaster tends shore leads to secluded and
popular among families, as to bluster through here quite sheltered Sandy Bay, Cape
it has a car park nearby, while strongly, especially during the Town’s nudist beach.

Camps Bay Beach with the Twelve Apostles in the background

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