Long beach

As the name says, this beach is long, The Dutch called it Het Lange Strand. It is 8 kilometres long. Long walks are guaranteed. It is also the widest beach, the widest on the Peninsula. Best to stick to daylight hours as the beach is mostly quite deserted. Long Beach is one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world. The waves break in both directions, giving ample opportunity to surfers both goofy (right foot forward) and regular. If you’re catching a wave here, odds are you’ll also see longboarders, bodyboarders, and kneeboarders. This is one of the only spots in Cape Town where the break holds up in a south-westerly wind. It is fantastic due to the consistency of the swell. The waves may potentially be too big for beginners, but as an intermediate surfer, this is a great set of waves. This is not a great beach for swimming, the water is icy cold with rough waters strong currents, and backwash. There are pools filled with water created by the back-shore tidal lagoon that is often present, depending on the tide. The brack water in the lagoon is an important feature that plays a part in sustaining the coastal wetlands behind the beach. This area becomes quite waterlogged in winter forming a natural wetland

The beach is popular and easily accessible via a 200-meter sandy pathway from the small parking area at the end of Beach Road in Noordhoek. The SS Kakapo wrecked here. The over 68.6m-long steamship was on the way to Sydney when she ran aground on 25 May 1900 The wreck is partly buried in the beach sand because the ship ran aground with such force that it slid a few meters up onto the beach. You can reach the wreck from the Kommetjie or the Noordhoek side of the beach.

Kommetjie to Noordhoek Beach Walk

It takes about 2 hours to do the roughly 5km walk. Start at either of the Kommetjie Beach parking areas at Surf Way or at the end of Wireless Road. You can enjoy stunning views of Table Mountain and Hout Bay by walking in this direction.

The midsection of the route is wild and isolated. The rusty wreck of the Kakapo lies about halfway along the walk. It is best to walk on the damp hard sand. if you walk further away from the sea the sand becomes very soft and there are areas of quicksand. Quicksand is sand that is mixed with clay or chalk and covered with a layer of sand so it appears the same as the rest of the beach. When you tread on it, it quivers under your feet and you begin to sink. These areas are mostly found where the river enters the sea

The best time to walk is at low tide. It is a good idea to have a group of people for your safety and it is also a good idea that a car should be parked at the endpoint unless you want to do the walk back.

surf report

Check the tides here

•  Horse riding on the beach is popular and dogs are allowed without a leash.

• Noordhoek Beach Rides 076 251 8584