by Amanda Perkins and Michelle Snaddon
Imagine a summer where days begin and end with the sound of the surf curling and crashing onto the beach, mornings spent soaking up the sunshine… This is summer on South Africa’s unspoilt shores
As we ardently march towards the warmer months, eagerly anticipating a hot signal from the sun, it’s clear that winter was here this year, in full force, and is being rather stubborn about leaving the party. Whilst it’s been lovely to witness next year’s bathwater dripping from the windows day after day, gushing down the streets and into the flowerbeds, I’m ready for some dry-hair days again. I’m ready for my flip-flops, my sunhat and my Ray-Bans. Cue the braais, the bathing suits and the beach action. I’m ready for summer to sweep herself in and escort winter to the door. Even though it’s been a year since we’ve seen each other, it’ll be a brief and beautiful interlude for what’s to come.
So while we’re still entertaining winter, all cooped up inside with our warm, woolly socks on, it’s cathartic to spring clean our thoughts and preempt the arrival of summer. She’s not here quite yet, but she will be soon. It’s time to forecast those family holidays and long weekends away with our tribe beside the sea. Where days will begin and end with the sound of the surf curling and crashing onto the beach. Mornings will be spent on beach blankets, soaking up the sunshine, intermittently catching some waves and flipping through the pages of a juicy novel. As the kids master the build of monumental sandcastles, collecting seashells and playing naughts and crosses in the sand. Afternoons are for eating the day’s catch with our hands and rinsing the remnants of greasy garlic butter with a crisp Chenin Blanc. Evenings entice the most extravagant hour of the day when the sunscreen has been rinsed from our bronzed bodies and the sting of the sun slightly settles on our shoulders. If you’re not barefoot, you’re overdressed. The stars are out and the music is sung by the sea. It’s time for one last stroll alongside the tide before the lights go out.
As I throw another log onto the fire and witness the thickness of the white morning mist hovering above the city, I address my invite to summer. We are not there yet, but that shan’t stop me from planning. Why wait until peak beach time to claim my stretch of sand? Whilst the rain’s still falling and the clouds are heavy, I’m going to take my future self to the beach, where she’s looking incredibly good and happy.
Each one of these unique self-catering beach houses has one thing in common: quintessential Perfect Hideaways style and the best location, whether you’re looking for hideaways up the especially wild and beautiful West Coast or Cape Town’s sought-after Atlantic Seaboard or the pristine beaches of the fynbos-clad south peninsular en-route to Cape Point. Why settle for anything less?
Here are our favourite beach hideaways for some summer-loving…
Bakoven Seahorse, Atlantic Seaboard
You couldn’t get closer to the beach if you tried, than at this beautiful, blue bungalow in Bakoven, Cape Town’s hidden gem that’s a short drive from the city. Start your day with a morning coffee on the front step, with your feet in the sand and waves lapping immediately in front, as the seals frolic in the surf.
Need to know: Bakoven Beach, on the Atlantic Seaboard, is family friendly, with many locals who all know each other coming down to the beach daily. There are two small, sandy beaches but oodles of space on the rocks. Dive into the bluest pools between the kelp forests or dabble in the shallows, but either way the view back from the rocks at the Twelve Apostles is as refreshing as a dip in the sea. The view is simply spectacular from Bakoven Seahorse, no matter the season.
Farniente, Kommetjie
Perched on the Klein Slangkop dunes, alongside the notoriously dreamy Long Beach in Kommetjie, this hideaway is a slice of beach heaven. Style, simplicity and sincerity seduces your soul. Breathtaking views of the ocean, shoreline and mountain ranges can be enjoyed from the front verandah and upper balcony.
Need to know: Farniente is one of Kommetjie’s most comfortable self-catering accommodation options that blends the best of Greece with the Cape in a personal style that is one of understated luxury. Step out of bed and onto the beach… you’ll find it hard to leave this secret little find. Farniente is situated in the Klein Slangkop reserve, between Noordhoek and Scarborough with superb views of Chapman’s Peak. For those wanting to explore: it’s en-route to Cape Point and just under an hour’s drive to the city of Cape Town
The Beach House, Misty Cliffs
The Beach House’s interior is all about classic seaside comfort – wooden floors, big windows with views and a colour palette that’s instantly soothing. This is a relaxed, unfussy family home to enjoy fully for long periods of lounging, cooking, feasting, surfing, swimming, hiking or all things beach related.
Need to know: Misty Cliffs is sandwiched between the beautiful seaside villages of Kommetjie and Scarborough, at the foot of the mountains. It’s a spectacular setting with parasailing and surfing being the most popular water sports nearby. Days are spent on the balcony taking in the mesmerising views up and down the coast, or enjoying dips in the sea followed by beach or mountain walks. Loved by hikers and adventure sport lovers who come for the peace and quiet, knowing that the city is only an hour away and there are superb restaurants a five-minute drive away. Boating and canoeing is from nearby Simon’s Town harbour while wine lovers are spoilt for choice with the Constantia winelands only 20 minutes from Misty Cliffs. What more could you want?
Baxter House, Simon's Town
In the sleepy village of Simon’s Town, just a stone’s throw away from the calm waters of Boulders Beach, this colourful and charming beach hideaway is an idyllic home for a family getaway this summer. An easy wander down to the water with an ice-cream in hand and a boogie board under arm.
Need to know: Baxter House is one of our most-loved, self-catering beach houses in this penguin breeding area, mainly because the views across False Bay are beautiful, and are blissfully secluded from the crowds in peak season. Cape Point Nature Reserve is a short drive away with the tidal pool a popular place to swim along the way. Walk to the lighthouse or take the funicular, or spend the day enjoying superb hikes and walks in this fynbos reserve.
Cowrie Cottage, Ballito
This thatched Westbrook Beach hideaway of Cowrie Cottage, just south of Ballito, on the warm waters of the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphin Coast is an enchanting, tropical paradise cocooned by banana palm trees, ferns and strelitzias. A magical North Coast destination for the whole family, with a charming African decor influence, Cowrie Cottage is one of those welcoming hideaways that one never wants to leave.
Need to know: A much-loved family escape for years, Cowrie Cottage embodies the best of tropical beach holidays at the coast from childhood memories. Self-catering is easy here with superb shopping close by and the King Shaka International Airport a quick drive away by hired car. It now has a new swimming pool but also caters to both the meditative and high action-packed itineraries with plenty to do in and around Ballito and beaches to explore all along the coastline.
Zinkwazi Laguna, Zinkwazi
Teetering on the edge of Zinkwazi’s luscious lagoon, this contemporary hideaway is a haven for an outdoor-living beach holiday adjacent to the warm North Coast waters of KwaZulu-Natal. Days are spent hanging out on the deck beside the pool or paddle-boarding across the lagoon for a swim in the ocean.
Need to know: Zinkwazi Laguna offers the most flexible multigenerational, self-catering accommodation for holidays on the North Coast above Durban. It’s a mere 45-minute drive from the King Shaka International Airport to this lagoons-side escape, yet it’s also on one of the finest sandy beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. With both lagoon and sea views, this tropical beach house is also close to the bush: combine a holiday here with Ingwe Lodge or Thuleni Homestead in Manyoni Private Game Reserve for the best of both worlds. Also perfectly positioned for day trips to Hluhluwe or Mkuze game reserves.
Not Forgotten, Yzerfontein
It doesn’t get more romantic than this classical, white and wooden beach house that’s set on the softest white sandy coastline, where morning and evening begin with long walks and talks together as the sun rises or sets. This is barefoot West Coast living at its best – simply kick off your shoes at the front door and forget about them. Unpack your beach gear, grab your book and head for the deck… only to return for delicious meals of seafood and Mediterranean flavours. In fact, one of the many reasons to self-cater here is that you simply never want to leave, so pack all you need and enjoy hours of leisurely cooking together as a family.
Need to know: Yzerfontein is a busy seaside town on the West Coast. Not Forgotten’s location is popular because of its uninterrupted views of sand dune and sea for miles on end, yet you’re never far from the village and plenty of water sports on offer up the coast, especially at Langebaan Lagoon. A day trip to the new fossil museum at the West Coast Fossil Park is fun and winters are about cosy meals around the fire and falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves.
Casa Blu, Dwarskersbos
A loftily proportioned, contemporary take on the historic fisherman’s cottages still found dotted along the Cape’s wild West Coast, Casa Blu sits just back from the flower-strewn fynbos dunes with views forever up and down this breathtakingly beautiful coastline. Whitewashed walls, shuttered windows, a wind-protected courtyard with a braai and hot tub, plus a wide, shaded stoep, it has everything you could want for a beach holiday.
Need to know: Both sophisticated and relaxed, Casa Blu is the quintessential South African West Coast hideaway with plenty of games and indoor fireplaces for winter weekends, and loads of different entertaining areas for languid summer meals outdoors when the nights are long and sunshine-filled days are spent swimming or exploring the coastline: a birdwatcher’s paradise, boating trips can be done in the vlei nearby from Bokkoms Alley, known for its traditional dried fish, or bokkoms. Fishing? Oh yes, plenty to be had and seafood too. Take a day trip for an authentic seafood meal at Muisbosskerm (booking essential), a landmark further north along the coast near Eland’s Bay.
90 Beachy Head, Plettenberg Bay
A palatial Plettenberg Bay beach house with drop-dead gorgeous views of the Robberg peninsula on one side and the line of rugged Outeniqua mountains in the distance on the other. 90 Beachy Head, as its name suggests, is on the shores of the most sought-after beach in the most sought-after street in Plettenberg Bay. Everyone wants to stay here – luckily, this hideaway is fit for the whole family and friends list.
Need to know: Swimming, paddleskiing, surfing, long lazy lunches, afternoon snoozes, stargazing around the many barbeques or whatever tickles your fancy is available here. Over the season, the Garden Route, and particularly Plettenberg Bay, comes alive with festive activities, making it a destination for all ages. The tidal lagoon at Look Out is perfect for smaller children, while each of the beaches is known for its fabulous body surfing and swims year round. In fact, off-peak Plettenberg Bay is charming, if not more so, as you’ll have the place to yourself… and the winters here can be surprisingly mild! Hikers and nature lovers come for the forest and coastal walks, with a walk to the Gap or the point at Robberg Nature Reserve a much-loved route
Perfect Hideaways has over 400 curated, self-catering beach and luxury bush accommodation or fully inclusive safari lodges across South Africa. If you’d like to stay in one of these hidden gems, contact us on [email protected] or +27 21 790 0972 so that we can help you find your perfect hideaway.
