False Bay & Southern Peninsula

False Bay is the wide bay on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula, and the villages strung along its western shore, from Muizenberg and St James through Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek to Simon's Town, run south towards Cape Point. The water on this side is noticeably warmer than the Atlantic, the railway line follows the shore for much of the way, and each village has kept a distinct character.

Accommodation here is village-scale rather than resort-scale, mostly guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and self-catering apartments with a small number of larger properties. Muizenberg and St James sit closest to the surf beach and the railway. Kalk Bay is the most walkable, built tightly around its harbour and its shops. Fish Hoek is quieter and more residential. Simon's Town is the largest of them, with a historic main street and Boulders and the penguins on its doorstep.

Staying here makes sense when the southern peninsula is the point of the trip rather than an excursion from it. You get an early start at Cape Point before the buses, warm swimming beaches nearby and a different atmosphere from the city. Simon's Town is about an hour from the city centre and further again from the Winelands, so this coast suits a two- or three-night peninsula leg better than a whole Cape Town stay.