A Getaway to Glencairn is perfect with Kids

Glencairn

Hidden in a lush pro­tec­ted val­ley on the False Bay Coast in Cape Town, between Simonstown and Fish Hoek, lies the quaint sub­urb of Glencairn. With a nature reserve and vlei sanc­tu­ary run­ning in the middle of the green­belt towards the sea, this area has been beau­ti­fully pre­served, allow­ing the con­struc­tion of houses on the slop­ing hills that wind up through to dra­matic moun­tain landscapes.

Possibly the best kept secret of the South Peninsula, the area is a quiet study in nat­ural beauty. A river run­ning through the middle offers a wel­come reprieve in the sum­mer months, when loc­als can some­times be spot­ted under the small water­falls. The small beach is pretty and clean, pet and fam­ily friendly and offers close encoun­ters of whale watch­ing in the spring months. A small tidal pool is per­fect for chil­dren and treas­ure hunters, search­ing for lost coins and per­fectly formed shells.

Glencairn Beach

Glencairn res­id­ents are a mixed bunch of down-to-earth types, most of whom grew up in the area although, young fam­il­ies and former city dwell­ers have also been attrac­ted to the town due to the well priced prop­er­ties and the relaxed life­style. All of the nat­ural attrac­tions can be reached by foot, with a myriad of hikes through the vast kilo­metres of the undis­turbed moun­tain range that reaches all the way to Kommetjie and Scarborough.

A sub­urb of Simonstown, the quaint res­id­en­tial areas are named Glencairn Heights, Glencairn and the new­est area, Welcome Glen, which was a dairy farm not too long ago. Relics of the broken down ori­ginal stone out build­ings can still be seen dot­ted along the river and the ori­ginal farm­stead takes pride of place in the middle of the small enclave of homes. A strong navy influ­ence is always present, with train­ing facil­it­ies and sport­ing grounds set into the val­ley and res­id­en­tial homes for the navy built just around the corner. The old navy stables are still in oper­a­tion as a private facil­ity, with expanses of grounds kept avail­able for the 30 horses stabled there.

Glencairn

Riders can exper­i­ence the free­dom of the moun­tain all the way to the dam on Redhill, which can also be reached on foot from the park­ing lot below. Former state pres­id­ents once kept their mounts there and one can still find evid­ence of the pride of place their steeds held as an integ­ral part of the armed forces. Now chil­dren fill the peace­ful mead­ows with laughter as they trot and canter around the fields, enjoy­ing the sim­pli­city of nature and the love of riding.

Old Glencairn is close to the sea and stretches round to the road lead­ing into Simonstown, boast­ing a beau­ti­fully ren­ov­ated hotel and res­taur­ant, a dance club, a jolly pub and Mineral World which has a ‘Scratch Patch,’ espe­cially for the kids.

The upmar­ket res­taur­ant called ‘Flukes’ based at the Southern Right Hotel, brings loc­als and tour­ists together to appre­ci­ate the ocean views, frol­ick­ing whales, excel­lent winel­ist and deli­cious food. (Also worth a visit for the best break­fast in town is La Vallee Deli and for an end­less view over the ocean, unpre­ten­tious yet deli­cious food visit Dixies Pub & Restaurant).

Glencairn

Glencairn Heights over­looks the sea, from its moun­tain­side pos­i­tion, with most of the homes offer­ing spec­tac­u­lar views. A purely res­id­en­tial area, it is also a safe haven for fam­il­ies and hol­i­day­makers who have inves­ted in the area to return, like swal­lows, in time for season.

The relaxed life­style in Glencairn can be attrib­uted to the beauty of the land­scape, the tran­quil­ity of the sea and its state of rel­at­ive obscur­ity. Children play in the street and visit each other dur­ing the day and fam­il­ies spend qual­ity time with their chil­dren, going for walks and pic­nics on the beach. Without a main road of shops, malls or busi­nesses, it remains a res­id­en­tial sub­urb, with all the beauty of its neigh­bour­ing sea­side tour­ist towns, but without the trap­pings. Be sure to add Glencairn to your tour of the pen­in­sula and appre­ci­ate the quiet beauty of this little sea­side town.

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Find more des­tin­a­tion inform­a­tion:
Glencairn Accommodation
Glencairn Attractions
Things to Do in Glencairn
False Bay Coast Attractions