Hot sea beach in South Africa

 Hot sea beach in South Africa

The water temperature is usually between about 10°C and 14°C on the Western Seaboard and between about 12°C and 17°C on the False Bay side (very occasionally as high as twenty). But it's not a good idea to generalise - each beach has its own particular charm so here they are - starting from False Bay and heading off around the peninsula. False Bay curves in a huge arc from Gordon's Bay and Strand in the East, right round to Cape Point at its westernmost extremity.

The eastern side is more like the western seaboard, with the water temperature a few degrees colder than the eastern side. It's a rocky shore, with a few beaches, mainly, which has great surf but is not a great swimming beach, and more family friendly beaches at Gordon's Bay and Strand. Bikini beach, at Gordon's Bay, is one of Cape Town's three Blue Flag Beaches. Also on the eastern shore of False Bay is Strand, which is a great family beach, Koeëlbaai - well loved by surfers but not offering the safest of bathing.

The northern shore of False Bay is a long stretch of beautiful, rather exposed, coast with a number of great beaches that, because of their proximity to the almost exclusively black suburbs (or townships) of Langa, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Khayalitsha and Mitchell's Plain are frequented almost exclusively by black people.

With a beach for every season and a beach for every reason, Cape Town is one of the best sun, sand and sea destinations in the world. South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to have blue flag beaches, which signifies a high level of water quality, facilities, cleanliness and safety. There are three blue flag beaches in and around Cape Town. These are Clifton Beach, Mnandi Beach and Bikini Beach at Gordon's Bay right out on the eastern side of False Bay. There are loads of beaches to choose from and you'll need a bit of inside info to end up on the right one.

Just for starters, there is the western and eastern side of the peninsula - divided by a 1,000m-high mountain so you could have totally different weather within twenty metres. And, naturally, the sea conditions can differ widely - dead flat calm on one side and crashing waves on the other. Another very important thing to bear in mind is the 'culture' of the different beaches. Generally speaking, those on the western side are more sophisticated and fashionable, while the eastern side is more popular with local families who don't want to drive too far from the sprawling low-rent suburbs on the Cape Flats. But - and this is a big but - the water is usually three or four degrees warmer on the False Bay, or Eastern side.