Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg is where Capetonians learn to surf, and it is the friendliest beach in the city for anyone who wants to get into the water rather than just look at it. On the northern curve of False Bay, about thirty minutes from the city centre, it is the start of a beach that runs for miles along the bay, and it faces the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean side of the Cape, so the sea here is noticeably more comfortable than at Camps Bay or Clifton. The bottom is sand rather than rock, and the waves roll in long and gentle, which makes it ideal for beginners on boards and for body-boarding children. Surfer's Corner, at the western end near the station, is the hub: a row of surf schools and board-rental shops, including one that describes itself as the oldest surf school in the country, offer lessons for all ages, along with stand-up paddle boarding. The postcard image of Muizenberg is its line of colourful wooden bathing huts on the sand, painted in bright primary colours and dating from the Victorian and Edwardian era, when Muizenberg was a fashionable seaside resort. That history survives in the old buildings along the Muizenberg Historical Mile, a walking route that heads south past grand old houses towards St James, which has its own tidal pool and bathing huts. Muizenberg is a Blue Flag beach, with lifeguards in season and a shark-spotting programme: spotters watch the bay from the mountainside above and raise coloured flags and sound a siren when a shark is seen, so check the flags when you arrive. The beach is free, the vibe is casual and multicultural, and the cafes and restaurants on the beachfront are relaxed and affordable.

Learning to surf: book a lesson with one of the schools at Surfer's Corner, which provide boards and wetsuits; a group lesson of an hour or two is enough to stand up on a good day. The water is warmer than the Atlantic but still cool, so a wetsuit is useful most of the year. Summer mornings are best, before the south-easter blows onshore and makes the waves messy. Swim and surf between the flags, follow the shark spotters' flag system, and leave the water if the siren sounds.

Around Muizenberg: walk the Historical Mile to St James to see the tidal pool and bathing huts there, then continue along the catwalk path by the sea to Kalk Bay for lunch. Boyes Drive, above the village, has sweeping views over False Bay. Muizenberg also makes a good stop on the way to Boulders and Cape Point. Parking along the beachfront fills on summer weekends, and, as at any busy beach, keep valuables in sight or in the car out of view.

Who it suits: families with children, who love the gentle waves and warmer water; anyone who wants to try surfing for the first time; and travellers looking for a more local, less glamorous beach than the Atlantic seaboard. Experienced surfers will find the waves gentle; they head to other spots around the peninsula.