Towns and suburbs

Camps Bay

Camps Bay

History of Camp’s Bay

When the Dutch established a refreshment station at the Cape, the area now known as Camps Bay was inhabited by the Goringqhaique, Khoi, and the nomadic San people. The region was heavily forested and home to wildlife such as leopards, lions, and antelope. As Dutch settlers arrived, the Goringqhaique found their access to land increasingly restricted, and by 1657, they had moved to the Camps Bay area.

The local population was significantly reduced by measles and smallpox, diseases introduced by European settlers. By 1713, the Goringqhaique settlement was confined to Oudekraal. The area was then granted to John Lodewyk Wernich, who passed it on to his son Johan. Johan married Anna Koekemoer, and after he died in 1778, Anna married Fredrick Ernst von Kamptz. As a result, the area became known as Die Baai von Kamptz.

The area remained largely undeveloped for the next 100 years and was primarily used for hunting. The Roundhouse, built in 1848, served as a hunting lodge for Lord Charles Somerset. In 1884, a road from Sea Point was commissioned, taking three years to complete with convict labour. It was named Victoria Road in honour of Queen Victoria’s jubilee, the new route made the suburb more accessible, turning it into a popular spot for recreation and picnics. The tramway that was introduced in 1901, further increased the area’s popularity and led to further development.

         

Vintage pictures from Saartjie Klipkop                         First house in Camps Bay

Today, the suburb is an upmarket and popular area, known for its beach, which has Blue Flag status. The bay’s geography, protected from the South-Easterly winds, makes it relatively windless. Glen Beach, adjacent to Camps Bay Beach and divided by a rocky outcrop that becomes a single stretch of sand in summer, is popular with surfers but not suitable for swimming. It is usually less crowded than the main beach

Postcodes in Camps Bay are 8005 (Streets) and 8040 (Boxes)

Things to see and do in Camps Bay

  • The Round House
  • Little Glen playground is a playground in the Little Glen Nature Area. There is a jungle gym & tree swings
  • Signal hill road
  • Kloof Nek Road, one of South Africa’s oldest roads, was built in 1848 Ingleside Road Park has amazing views! the play area has great views of the Atlantic Ocean and The Twelve Apostles.

WEATHER IN CAMPS BAY TODAY

All listings in Camps Bay

 

Useful Numbers

  • Police: 021 437 8150
  • Traffic department: Gallows Hill: 021 444 3811
  • Fire: Sea point 021 434 2020
  • Water: Department of Water and Sanitation 021 546 3452/0860 103 089
  • Electricity: 0860 103 089
  • Ambulance: 10177
  • Post office; 021 438 9640
  • Library; 021 444 0487
  • Closest hospital/clinic;  Somerset Hospital Green Point 021 402 6911
  • Pharmacy; 021 438 2088
  • SPCA: Cape of Good Hope ( Grassy Park) 021 700 4140
  • Schools: Camps Bay High: 021 438 1507
    Camps Bay Primary: 021 438 1503
    Camps Bay Preparatory: 021 438 8075
  • Ratepayers Association: 083 628 9105/021 438 8287

Local Listings