Long Beach in Noordhoek

Long Beach

There is a beach that will always take my breath away, no mat­ter how many times I’ve seen it. Long Beach, in Noordhoek, loc­ated on the Southern Peninsula of Cape Town, en route to Cape Point, is named as such for its great expanse and stretch, right through to Kommetjie. The beach is not only long, but is wide, giv­ing way to wet­lands, flora and fauna. Family, dog and horse friendly, it is always a hive of activ­ity, for loc­als and tour­ists, horseriders, surfers, run­ners and tod­dlers, each enjoy­ing their little piece of para­dise out on the per­fect white sands of this magini­fi­cent beach.

Riding on Noordhoek beach is some­thing that every­one should do in their life­time, many times over! Whether it be in the fresh morn­ing mist, or for an even­ing sun­set canter through the waves, it is an exper­i­ence of nature and beast that is unri­valled. All ages and degees of exper­i­ence are catered for with trained guides lead­ing the rides on exper­i­enced horses. Rural Noordhoek is prime horse coun­try, with many farms and small hold­ings dot­ted around the val­ley, hous­ing stud farms, racing stables, show jump­ing yards and eventers. Race horses in train­ing from Dune Stables can always be spot­ted on the beach in the morn­ings, going through their school­ing routines, before gal­lop­ing off down the seem­ingly end­less expanse of land until they dis­ap­pear from view.

Noordhoek

After a few hours under the sear­ing rays of the sun, a quiet res­pite is needed and a tiny ham­let of shops and res­taur­ants is within walk­ing dis­tance of the beach. Named, ‘The Red Herring Village,’ after the ‘Red Herring’ res­taur­ant loved by loc­als and Capetonians who have driven out for their fam­ous pizza and refresh­ing draft beer for dec­ades, the vil­lage holds the magical qual­ity of Noordhoek in its whim­sical land­scap­ing, green foliage, statues and water fea­tures. The ‘Coco Bean’ serves break­fast, light meals and a mean cup of java. With a jungle gym tucked under the branches of weathered milk­wood trees, it’s obvi­ous that chil­dren are wel­come to enjoy this fey part of the village.

Oshun Spa and Hair is a treat for all the senses, where you are always given per­sonal atten­tion by people who genu­inely love what they do and where the love of nature, whol­ism and heal­ing shines through. Oshun also has a shop and garden space filled with Buddha statues, garden benches, baliesque wooden cre­ations, water fea­tures, linen, scarves, wooden jew­ellery and hand­craf­ted gifts.

Noordhoek

Ask any mother in Noordhoek and they’ll know all about ‘Chocolate Moose,’ the be all and end all of any birth­day. These lovely ladies make cake cre­ations that deserve their own cel­eb­ra­tion! Intricately craf­ted accord­ing to children’s wishes, ‘Chocolate Moose’ have cre­ated cakes with mer­maids frol­ick­ing in the water, battle scenes from Star Wars, doll houses and life­like scenes. They are also adept at adult treats of the most indul­gent qual­ity, all beau­ti­fully pack­aged and ready to devour.

‘Skabanga’s’ Restaurant and Pub, above the ‘Red Herring’ res­taur­ant, is a favour­ite local water­ing hole and pizza devour­ing spot. Skabanga’s have just about the best bar snacks and light pub lunches in the area, with a wooden deck allow­ing dis­tant sea views and a chance to be warmed by the sun.

With dra­matic moun­tain land­scapes, an 8km long beach, vine­yards, farms and val­leys, a place this unique is a rar­ity. So be sure to ded­ic­ate a mean­ing­ful chunk of your time to this exquis­ite part of the world and you may too, fall under its spell.

Red Herring: 021 789‑1783
Sleepy Hollow Horse Riding: 021 789‑2341
Oshun Hair and Spa: 021 789‑1494
Chocolate Moose: 021 789‑2891

Useful Links:
For more des­tin­a­tion inform­a­tion see:
Noordhoek Accommodation
Noordhoek Attractions & Info
Cape Town Accommodation