Camps Bay
Camps Bay is a suburb in Cape Town on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. Founded as Kamps Baai it was once considered to become Cape Town's harbour. It has become a tourism hot spot because it offers a great combination of restaurants, bars, amenities, accommodation and a fantastic beach, all very close to each other.
Get in
By car
Follow the coastal road from the Cape Town CBD westwards around Table Mountain or use the beautiful panoramic Chapmans Peak Drive to get there.
By public transport
There is no public transport yet, so your only choice would be sightseeing tourist buses that stop from time to time to give you the chance to hop off and later on again.
Get around
Camps Bay can easily be experienced by foot. However if you are staying in at the top of Camps Bay, it can take up to an hour to walk back from the beach. There are plenty of taxis available though, and it is one of the few places in Cape Town where a tourist will not need their own transport.
See
- Beautiful view on the Twelve Apostles, a rock formation of the Table Mountain massive.
- The beachfront with its restaurants and bars and the beach.
- Theatre on the Bay, 1 Link Street, Camps Bay, ☏ +27 21 438-3300, info@theatreonthebay.co.za.
Do
- Enjoy the atmosphere in this exclusive town and relax at the beach. Maybe visit some of the restaurants to spoil yourself.
- Do some mountain hiking to get some great views.
- Paraglide down from Lions Head or Signal Hill
Buy
A granadilla lolly on the beach on a sweltering hot summers day! As the ice cream men on the beach will tell you: "a lolly for your dolly!"
Eat
Camps Bay has a number of restaurants and cafes. In total there are probably about thirty, the majority of which are opposite the beach, stretched along Victoria Road, which is the main road of Camps Bay (runs parallel to the beach front). Some well known restaurants are Theos, Codfather (for seafood) and Summerville.
- Blues. An institution with a very well known brand. The restaurant has been around for a long time.
- Primi Piatti (on the Llandudno side of Camps Bay). Excellent value and huge portions.
- The 41, 41 Victoria Road, Camps Bay, ☏ +27 21 437 0558. Beachside restaurant with great seafood and cocktails.
Drink
Besides these three bars, just about every restaurant in Camps Bay offers great views, and is a super spot for a drink (or a sundowner as local Capetonians like to call it).
- Cafe Caprice. Very popular with the local trendy crowd, especially on a Sunday night.
- Karma. An upmarket bar, that is very popular. Wednesdays and Fridays are especially popular.
- Sapphire (next door to Blues restaurant). A popular sundowner spot that is less pretentious than Caprice.
Sleep
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | Under R500 |
| Mid-range | R500 to R1000 |
| Splurge | Over R1000 |
Camps Bay offers a wide range of accommodation. There is only one large hotel, but there are a proliferation of B&Bs, guesthouses and self-catering villas and apartments. Most tend to be in the higher end of the market; either four-star or five-star, although the guesthouses and self-catering options generally offer far better value than equivalent hotels.
Budget
- The Bay Hotel, 69 Victoria Road, ☏ +27 21 430 4444, direct@thebayhotel.com. Beachfront accommodation
- Camps Bay Village & Resort, 32 Camps Bay Drive, ☏ +27 21 438-5560, res@campsbayvillage.com. Garden studios, apartments, houses and villas. Budget options from R240 for a single room, from R550 for Travellers Rooms, R1200 for a double.
- Dunkeld Village, Corner of Dunkeld & Willesen, ☏ +27 83 719-5735, info@capeinternetaccommodation.com. This 3-bedroom townhouse has a private pool, garden and is situated walking distance to the beach. From R500 per person.
- Ingleside Apartment, 26 Ingleside Road, Camps bay, ☏ +27 83 617-3419, info@cometocapetown.com. 2-bedroom apartment with private pool, sea views, maid, laundry, and Internet. From R200 per person.
Mid-range
- Cape Rose Cottage, 8 Hoopoe Avenue, ☏ +27 21 438-1786, info@caperosecottage.co.za. 4-star self catering suites nestled under the Twelve Apostles. From R300 per pppn.
- The Crystal, Medburn Road, Camps Bay, ☏ +27 21 437-9700, book@thecrystal.co.za. Luxury serviced apartments with two pools, concierge and secure parking. From R700 per person sharing.
- Lion's View, 4 First Crescent, ☏ +27 21 438-1239, info@lionsview.co.za. Lion’s view has a five-bedroom villa with a private rim-flow pool and a 2-bedroom penthouse with a plunge pool – both properties have 5-star grading, great views and is situated close to the beach. From R975 per person sharing.
- Nox Rentals, Camps Bay, ☏ +27 21 424-3353, info@noxrentals.co.za. A portfolio of 60 apartments and villas in Camps Bay & Clifton. From R250 per pppn.
- Totness Place, 4 The Drive, ☏ +27 21 438-3972, res@totness.co.za. With a deli bakery and restaurant next door. From R650 for single Rooms, R850 for a double.
Splurge
- Camps Bay Travel, Camps Bay Drive, ☏ +27 21 438-1800, office@campsbay.travel. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Instant online quotes for over 80 properties in Camps Bay, make a confirmed booking insantly. To R38000.
- Camps Bay Retreat, Sedgemore Road, ☏ +27 21 437-9702, book@campsbayretreat.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. 5-star boutique hotel set on a Private Nature Reserve. From R2400.
- Nox Rentals, Camps Bay, ☏ +27 21 424-3353, info@noxrentals.co.za. A selection of Nox Rentals' top properties. From R400 per person.
- The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Victoria Rd, ☏ +27 21 437-9255, bookta@12apostles.co.za. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Also has the Azure Restaurant on site. From R4000.