St. James Beach, St. James, Cape Town: Beach Review

St. James Beach
St. James
Off Main Road, Cape Town | Map

St. James beach is not a true beach – it’s a man-made tidal pool surrounded by scraps of sand, with a large grassy verge for picnics.

Directions: From Cape Town, take the M3 or M5 highways south Muizenberg, then continue in the same direction on the Main Road (M4) until you see the quaint little beach houses.

Best times to go: Weekdays from 10 a.m. until about 4 p.m. (The sun sets early on the Muizenberg side of the peninsula.)
Rental chairs? No
Rental umbrellas? No
What’s nearby? The shops, cafes and restaurants of Kalk Bay (in one direction) and Muizenberg (in the other).

Review
St. James beach is home to one of the most famous oceanside sights in Cape Town. The colorful little bathing houses feature on postcards, websites and, erm, travelblogs galore.

The “beach” gets extremely cramped during sunny weekends and holidays – entire extended families descend, for bathing and picnics on the nearby grass lawns – but it has a great outlet in Danger Beach, just a minutes’ walk away, which better conforms to a classic beachgoer’s expectations!