Atlantic Seaboard

The Atlantic Seaboard is the narrow shelf of land between the mountain chain and the ocean on the western side of the Cape Peninsula. It runs from Green Point below Signal Hill through Sea Point, Bantry Bay and Clifton to Camps Bay, then past Bakoven and Oudekraal towards Llandudno and Hout Bay. It is where the city does its sunsets, and it is also the most expensive strip in Cape Town.

Accommodation is stacked along that line rather than spread across a district. Sea Point has the deepest and most varied stock, with hotels, apartment buildings and guesthouses within reach of the promenade. Bantry Bay and Clifton are smaller and more exposed to the view, with a higher proportion of apartments and boutique properties on the slopes above the road. South of Camps Bay the coast thins out to villas and small guesthouses set into the mountainside.

The trade-offs are consistent along the whole strip. The water is cold year-round, the summer south-easter funnels down some sections harder than others, and almost everything facing the sea is priced for the outlook. Sea Point is the practical choice if you want restaurants and a promenade you can use on foot. Further south you gain quiet and a wider view and give up walkable variety, which usually means driving to dinner.