- Where to go to sunbathe?
- Weather features of a beach holiday in South Africa
- Cape Town Riviera
- Penguins in Africa?
- In the footsteps of Vasco da Gama
Fly halfway across the world to sunbathe? This kind of vacation idea may not seem like the most profitable, unless we are talking about the Republic of South Africa. Here, on the Cape of Good Hope, the dreams of those who from childhood wanted to be at the end of the world come true, and in the national parks there are those very animals that are called the "African Big Five". Needless to say, a beach vacation in South Africa can be saturated with impressions to the eyeballs in order to justify both a long flight and expensive prices for air tickets to Africa.
Where to go to sunbathe?
Two oceans at once wash the southern shores of Africa and their beaches are somewhat different depending on which side of the Cape of Good Hope you find yourself on:
- The Indian Ocean on the east coast of South Africa offers a comfortable and relaxing holiday. The water here is warm, the bottom is flat and sandy, and the infrastructure is "sharpened" to make the rest of parents with children comfortable and safe and those who do not seek to spend their time too extreme.
- In the west, on the contrary, the Atlantic reigns with all its seaside attributes: surf centers, equipment rental points for all possible active entertainment and activities. Hotels in this part of the coast are both very simple and fashionable, and many beaches have prestigious awards for cleanliness - Blue Flag certificates.
When choosing where to sunbathe, take into account the weather forecast for the resorts.
Weather features of a beach holiday in South Africa
The climate of South Africa largely determines the proximity of the ocean. On the east coast, it is characterized as subtropical, and on the west and southwest as Mediterranean. On the Atlantic coast, the water is always slightly cooler and the wind is much stronger than on the beaches of the Indian Ocean.
Durban can be a great beach holiday destination in South Africa almost all year round. Summer here begins in December, when the thermometer is set at + 27 ° C in air and + 23 ° C in water. During the high season, temperatures exceed + 30 ° C, and the rainiest months in Durban are January and March. But in winter it is rarely colder than + 22 ° C, and therefore the most seasoned take sun baths on local beaches. The winds in Durban are not too strong, and for a comfortable stay you can always find a cove nestled in the rocks.
Cape Town, on the other hand, is called the city of winds, and there is nothing to do on its beaches in winter. In addition, it often rains in the Cape between June and August. The swimming season in these parts starts in mid-November, when the air warms up to + 25 ° С, and the water - up to + 19 ° С. The Atlantic remains quite cold even at the height of the beach season, but on land the sun raises thermometers in January to + 26 ° С.
Cape Town Riviera
This is what the beaches of South Africa, concentrated in the Cape of Good Hope region, are called. The most popular, Clifton, Victoria and Llandudno, are protected by picturesque granite cliffs from the east winds. Table Beach at the foot of Table Mountain is a popular destination for photographers. It is from here that the main natural attraction of the country looks especially picturesque and photos of the mountains taken on the Table adorn most travel guides to South Africa.
In the Cape area, as the locals call the city, many surf schools are open. Every boy can conquer the wave on the board here, and professional instructors teach the art of safe surfing to everyone.
Kite surfing equipment rentals on the Cape beaches are the second most popular. The wind here is perfect for getting on board with a sail.
Penguins in Africa?
Why not, if you prefer a beach holiday in South Africa to all other scenarios for a long-awaited vacation! In the Cape area there is a wonderful place called Penguin Beach, where clumsy, but only at first glance, cute fat men freely walk between sunbathers and can even quietly steal their favorite glasses or shorts.
Penguin Beach is a forty-minute drive along the M5 from Cape Town. At Simons Town, turn left after the Boulders signpost. The beach is equipped with a changing room, parking and walkways above the ground. It is strictly forbidden to touch the feathered fat men, but the photos from this exotic beach are very cute.
In the footsteps of Vasco da Gama
The first to set foot on the east coast of modern South Africa was the head of the Portuguese expedition Vasco da Gama, who was looking for a sea route to India from the Old World. This happened at the very end of the fifteenth century, and since then Durban has turned from a small English colony into a fashionable ocean resort.
However, hotels here exist for every taste, and reviews of previous guests note a quite decent level of service, even in budget hostels. When choosing where to stay in Durbin, keep in mind that ideal hotels are concentrated in the eastern part of the resort and each of them has its own fully equipped beach.
In terms of active entertainment, the resort area of Durban "Golden Mile" will give a hundred points ahead to many beach capitals of the planetary scale:
- Entertainment centers will not let guests of all ages get bored. For adults, restaurants, bowling alleys and nightclubs are open here, and kids can spend time in attraction towns, children's cafes and on the water park slides.
- Try your luck and win back the money spent on flights and a tour to South Africa, will help the green cloth of the local casino.
- In the water center "World of the Sea" there is a chance to safely meet the inhabitants of the ocean depths and watch a performance in the dolphinarium.
- Renting equipment in one of the beach active recreation centers, you can spend time in the company of like-minded people surfing, spearfishing or sailing on yachts.
The rest can be supplemented with exciting and profitable shopping (in South Africa there is a sales tax refund system) or walks in museums, parks and the Durbin Botanical Garden. Samples of colonial architecture in the old town will significantly enrich the family photo album.
