Long Beach, Kommetjie

Description

Long Beach is one of Cape Town’s longest and most striking beaches, with a total length of 8km of powdery white sand. Set within the seaside village of Kommetjie in the Western Cape, Long Beach is a fantastic surfing and body boarding destination.

There is plenty of activity to be had in and out of the water. The beach tends to be quite exposed to the wind so if you want a pleasant day on the beach, choose a day when the wind is relatively calm. The water is rather cold for swimming, but a small tidal pool known as the “Kom” offers safe bathing for the kids.

There are a couple of great walks on this beach, which is one of the reasons why so many people use Long Beach for walking their dogs. A lovely walk passes a well-preserved 1,900 shipwreck, known as the Kakapo, and you can continue all the way to Noordhoek Beach, at the foot of Chapman's Peak. Another superb walk is around Bird Island at the Kommetjie slipway where boats are launched during 'kreef' season. From here you can amble along the catwalk until you reach the Outer Kom, which is one of the famous surf spots. A boardwalk begins here and trails the shore to Slangkop lighthouse (it is the strongest and tallest cast iron lighthouse on the South African Coast) and then continues up to a WW II radar station on the top of the mountain with magnificent views all the way along the coastline to Cape Point.