Are you looking for some of the best things to do in Camps Bay, Cape Town? This guide contains some of my favorite spots from my trip there, including top beaches, restaurants, and cafes. Read on for more!
If youʻre booking your trip to Cape Town last minute, we have you covered. Below are some of the top tours, and more!
🇿🇦 Top tours and activities in Cape Town:
- Wine tour from Cape Town (top-rated day trip option)
- Cape of Good Hope + penguins tour (I also loved this)
- Snorkeling with seals (such a unique tour option!)
🛌 Top hotels and places to stay:
- Central Beach Villas (where I stayed in Camps Bay; sea views)
- Urban Oasis Aparthotel (in CBD)
- Casa del Sonder (De Waterkant, great location)
🚗 Visiting Cape Town independently? Be sure to book your South Africa rental car ahead of time to ensure availability!
My trip to South Africa was booked six months in advance, but I did a poor job planning the trip and scrambled around at the last minute to get things together.
When I started looking for a place to stay, I saw Camps Bay and immediately was like, ‘Yes, I know this place‘! It turns out I was thinking of Jeffreys Bay (because of surfing) and not Camps Bay, but I didn’t find that out until we arrived. Whoops.
The accommodation wasn’t cheap but I found a nice place and booked our two weeks in Camps Bay. Upon arrival, I quickly discovered that it was one of the more affluent areas of Cape Town.
The restaurant and cafe scene was lovely, and it was a walkable little area! This guide will showcase some of the best places in Camps Bay that I visited during my time there. It will include some of the best restaurants and cafes, beaches, tidal pools, and more.
If I left something off here, please let me know in the comments so I can put it on my Camps Bay bucket list for a future trip. Thanks!
In this post...
Best Things to Do in Camps Bay, Cape Town
In this guide, I am including a diverse array of things to do in Camps Bay. I am, however, omitting Camps Bay Beach because it is the most obvious thing to do when there.
I am, instead, focusing on additional beaches, tidal pools, and places to eat in Camps Bay. If there is anything I left out, let me know in the comments. Thanks!
1. Relax at a Cafe in Camps Bay
One thing that I loved about Camps Bay was its cafe and coffee scene. I found some of my favorite coffee spots in Cape Town a block away from where I was staying, which was convenient.
And if you don’t plan to sit inside the cafe (or on its terrace), you can also grab a to-go coffee and take it to the beach.
Some Camps Bay cafes that I loved were:
Okja
This cafe has two locations in Cape Town, but Camps Bay is the original. Okja is a 100% plant-based cafe that serves up some of the town’s best coffee and matcha.
I took my delicious oat milk flat white to the Camps Bay Tidal Pool area and enjoyed the early morning sunshine.
You can find Okja right at the oceanfront on Victoria Road.
Mantra Cafe
Another cafe I enjoyed was Mantra Cafe.
This Cape Town cafe and eatery sits along the waterfront, as well, and has a full breakfast menu (and an all-day one for the afternoon on).
I enjoyed their marrow and potato hash browns paired with kale, tomatoes, dukkah, and poached egg. Ed had their avocado toast.
They can be found at 43 Victoria Road in Camps Bay.
The Pottery
This Camps Bay coffee shop and eatery has five locations nationwide. This place had some of my favorite coffee in Camps Bay and the vibe of the cafe is super chill and cool.
They also have pottery painting there (and just so happen to serve some of the tastiest pizza). The location opened in December 2021 and is a must-visit if you’re looking for the top places to hang out in Camps Bay.
The Pottery can be found at 41 The Drive.
Another place I loved in Camps Bay was their Bootlegger location. However, it is listed as a pop-up currently, so I am not sure it is going to be a long-term location. If you see it still open when there, it is a nice place to grab a morning coffee (otherwise you can find Bootleggers all over Cape Town).
2. Explore the Camps Bay Restaurant Scene
While I listed some places in the cafe part of this guide that are also restaurants, these three places are some of the top places I ate at in Camps Bay.
Bo-Vine Wine & Grill House
Hands down the best steak I have ever had in my life. If you only go to one place on this list for food, make it Bo-Vine Wine & Grill House!
Situated on the first floor of the Promenade Shopping Centre, the steakhouse is a casual eatery with a sophisticated touch. They have seafood and other dishes for the non-steak lover, but if you enjoy steak, this is THE place.
They have a ‘Legendary Cuts’ menu with dry-aged beef, wagyu (sourced from the Karoo nearby), and more. I opted for a filet from their wet-aged menu.
They have an extensive wine menu at Bo-Vine, as well. I don’t drink so I didn’t test anything out from it.
For an appetizer, I had bone marrow and it was all mind-glowingly good. I cannot hype this place up enough. Reservations are suggested here.
Hussar Grill
For over 55 years, the Hussar Grill has been welcoming meat lovers in Cape Town. They have more than one location but I tried out the one in Camps Bay.
It was good – I had the filet. You can walk there but it is a little bit uphill from the water.
To be honest, the reason I went there was because they have local meat dishes but when I got there, they actually had nothing I wanted available (which is why I opted for steak).
You can find the Hussar Grill Camps Bay at 108 Camps Bay Drive (Shop 2). If you have a choice between here or Bo-Vine, opt for Bo-Vine. But this is a good alternative if you can’t get in there!
Tiger’s Milk
I am always hesitant to put places like this on a guide (or even to check them out in the first place) because it has several locations throughout Cape Town.
But, I went there for a salad one day at the V&A Waterfront and enjoyed it. So, I am putting it here for those who are looking for a diverse menu to cater to the whole family or group.
On their menu, you will find salads, gyros, Tex-Mex, and a variety of starters. They also have a kid’s menu with items like chicken strips (and fries), ciabatta cheese toasties, and pizza.
You can find Tiger’s Milk at 33 Victoria Road in Camps Bay.
Codfather Camps Bay
Okay, so here’s the deal. I didn’t love the part of Codfather that I ate at. But I am certain I would love the other half of the place.
At Codfather (which gets stellar reviews), you need a reservation. I didn’t make one and showed up and the only room for us to dine was at the sushi side of the restaurant. There was a sushi conveyor belt there and a team making fresh rolls. I didn’t like any of them. We ate a few and walked out.
However, the other side of the restaurant is a sit-down place with fresh seafood like butterfish, calamari, dorado (mani-mani), kingklip, and more.
When we saw people’s plates, it looked incredible and it was a shame we didn’t make a reservation in advance.
You can find Codfather at 37 The Drive by the waterfront.
3. Take a Walk to the Clifton Beaches
Clifton has some of the best beaches in Cape Town. You can easily get a taxi to them, or you can walk, like I did. It took about 30 minutes or so (with photo stops) to walk from Camps Bay’s waterfront over to the Clifton beaches.
In Clifton, you will find 4 renowned beaches.
Clifton’s 1st Beach is family-friendly and allows dogs on it. It also is popular with surfers. The 2nd beach is known for being a bit livelier and energetic. The 3rd beach is known to locals as the gay beach as it is popular with the local LGBTQ+ community. And the 4th beach is the one where most people hang out.
When you’re walking to the Clifton beaches from Camps Bay, you will come up on the 4th beach first (and 1st beach last). If you’re into kayaking, you can sign up for a kayaking adventure with Kayak Clifton (located at 4th Beach).
Some of the top places to eat in Clifton are The Bungalow (Mediterranean restaurant) and Clifton Eatery (known for pizza).
4. Spend the Morning at Llandudno Beach
If you are looking to explore another beach not too far from Camps Bay, check out nearby Llandudno Beach.
The popular beach is free to visit and you will find two areas there: the North Shore (the popular one) and the West Shore (a little quieter and near the town).
There are not too many shops nearby as it is in a residential area.
Surfers love Llandudno Beach, but I say go there for the views! On one side, you will see the Twelve Apostles and the other side shows the stunning Lion’s Head (and the Karbonkelberg Mountains)
5. Visit a Tidal Pool in Camps Bay (or Nearby!)
There are two tidal pools close to Camps Bay and both are worth a visit if you’re looking to relax in the water for a bit.
The Camps Bay Tidal Pool is found on the southern side of Camps Bay and you can literally walk there within 5 minutes.
Maidan’s Cove Tidal Pool (and braai area!) is in between Camps Bay and Clifton and it is an easy walk from the waterfront.
There is plenty of parking there and it is free. Visitors can also take in the incredible views over Camps Bay from here. From this area, be sure to stop by the picturesque Glen’s Beach viewpoint. It offers some insane views!
How to Get to Camps Bay
If you are not driving your own rental car, you can get to Camps Bay by taxi (I used Uber) which is super affordable and convenient. Alternatively, you can use the hop-on, hop-off tour buses which make a stop in Camps Bay.
As for public transportation, the MyCiti buses also stop in Camps Bay. You can view their timetables and maps here.
Where to Stay in Camps Bay
I stayed in Camps Bay on my trip to Cape Town and I picked one of the (few) affordable places there, called the Central Beach Villas.
Central Beach Villas
I booked a room at the Central Beach Villas for two weeks (even though I moved out of town to Mont Eco Game Reserve for a couple of nights during the trip).
Only two blocks (or less) from the beach, the Central Beach Villas were perfect for the stay. It was quiet and my room had a terrace which was so nice in the evenings. We also had air-conditioning and a lot of space inside the room.
There was a small pool and the property was gated. The only complaint I have is that they have no affordable laundry service.
If you’re going for longer than a week, do NOT give them any laundry to wash. I gave them merely a few pieces and was charged over $60. I asked for a price list afterward and they gave me one and the prices were outlandish.
I paid, complained, and hoped that they change this for future guests.
Nevertheless, I had a wonderful stay and highly recommend the Central Beach Villas!
Do you have any questions about the best things to do in Camps Bay? If I missed any places or you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Thanks!
More Cape Town Travel Guides
- Snorkeling with seals in Cape Town
- Best Cape Town cafes
- Cape Malay cooking class in Cape Town
- Cape town beaches
- Pretty tidal pools in Cape Town
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Megan is a travel blogger and writer with a background in digital marketing. Originally from Richmond, VA, she now splits her time between Frankfurt, Germany and Arctic Finland after also living in Norway, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. She has a passion for winter travel, as well as the Nordic countries, but you can also find her eating her way through Italy, perusing perfume stores in Paris, or taking road trips through the USA. Megan has written for or been featured by National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, the New York Times, and more. She co-authored Fodor’s Travel ‘Essential Norway’ and has visited 45 US states and 100+ countries.