Looking for camping sites near Cape Town? Cape Town is close to many camping spots, whether you want to rough it or live like a king in the wilderness. Here are the five best-camping sites near Cape Town which are listed in no order.
Camping Cape Town
1. Kogel Bay
Kogel Bay is a long, sandy piece of heaven tucked away along the R44. It is surrounded by fynbos-covered mountains that drop straight into the ocean. There isn’t much else to do besides listening to the waves crash on the shore, so it’s a fantastic location to pitch a tent beachfront at the Kogel Bay Resort, which has over 200 campsites without electricity.
At the east end of the coast, you can surf well. Swimming is safer on the eastern side but be careful because rip currents can be substantial. If you like mountains more, you’re in luck. The Kogelberg Nature Reserve is a biosphere reserve with more than 18,000 hectares of land and many plants. It is a fantastic location to go hiking and trail riding. Or you can relax in your tent and enjoy the incredible views of False Bay.
How to Get There: Kogel Bay is only 70 km from the center of Cape Town. Keep going east on the N2 and turn right onto Sir Lowry’s Pass Road. Turn left onto the R44 at the T-junction in Gordon’s Bay. From Gordon’s Bay, the Kogel Bay Resort is 14 km away along a beautiful coastal road.
To make your Kogel Bay camping site booking and Kogel Bay camping rates visit their official page.
2. Beaverlac
As it winds down into the valley below, the last part of the road to Beaverlac camping is steep and bumpy, but it’s worth every jolt to the spine.
Beaverlac Falls is a natural heritage site depth in the Cederberg Mountains and one of the best camping sites near Cape Town. It is known for its beautiful pools and waterfalls, which begin just a few minutes walk from your tent. Main Pool is the closest and gets the most people, but if you’re willing to walk a little further, you can swim in a quieter pool like Flat Rock or Secret Pool.
Beaverlac is a family favorite because it is easy to “rough it” at the well-run campsite. You can even take your dear dogs with you. But be careful: it can get boiling in the summer and very cold in the winter. Pack as needed.
How to Get There: The trip from Cape Town to Beaverlac takes about two hours. From Cape Town, take the N7 to Piketberg, then turn right and head toward Porterville. Turn left at Porterville onto the dirt road that goes to Cardew. Then you go up the pass to Groot Winterhoek by turning right. To get to Beaverlac, follow the sign down.
Visit their official page to make your Beaverlac booking.
3. Hout Bay, Orange Kloof
If you don’t like messing with tent pegs and sleeping on the ground, the Orange Kloof Tented Camp is an excellent alternative. The camp is on the edge of Hout Bay in the Table Mountain National Park. It has five permanent tents with comfortable beds, a shared kitchen, and a roaring outdoor fireplace.
The eco-friendly camp is in the middle of a dense Afromontane Forest. Its beautiful location makes it hard to believe that the city center is only 20 minutes away. Hiking is the main attraction, and some trails go across the National Park to Silvermine (15,5 km) and Table Mountain (9.5 km). SANParks also runs the great Slangkop Tented Camp in Kommetjie, which is exceptional if you want to camp in style near the beach.
How to Get There: Take the M43 up Constantia Nek from Hout Bay. Before you reach the Nek’s top, turn left onto Orange Kloof.
4. Titiesbaai camping
Even though it has a seductive name, Tittiesbaai Camping is a family-friendly place with a small but beautiful crescent-shaped bay on the West Coast where you can camp by the water. The protected waters are great for swimming and snorkeling if you can handle the cold west coast waters. There are no extras with camping here.
At Titiesbaai, there are no creature comforts other than a few basic toilets. Instead, there is only the wild and beautiful shoreline of the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. The beach gets crowded, but you can usually find space along the rocks that mark each end of the bay. Make sure your tent poles are strong enough to withstand the southeast wind, which is why experienced campers call Tietiesbaai the “tent killer.”
How to get there: Cape Town is less than two hours away. To get to Velddrift, take the R27 north. Turn left at the Vredenburg turnoff, then follow the Vredenburg Main Road toward Paternoster. Keep going until you reach the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.
Namaqua Beach Flower Camp, Namaqualand
If you’re willing to spend a lot on a memorable camping trip, the Namaqua Flower Beach Camp is hard to beat. This mobile luxury camp is only set up during the peak flower season in July – September when the world-famous flowers bloom and turn the landscape into a riot of colour. It is on the remote coast of Namaqualand National Park.
The camp has dome tents with two single beds or family tents with one double bed and two singles. Even though the setting is wild, you won’t be roughing it. There are warm water bucket showers and electric blankets in every room, and the price includes gourmet west coast meals.
How to Get There: It’s a long way from anywhere in South Africa to this coastline, but Cape Town is the best big city to start from. To get to Garies, take the N7 north (430km). Turn left at Garies to go to the Groen River. Follow the gravel road for 73 km until you reach the Groen River. This is where the Namaqua National Park starts. From the car park office, the Namaqua Flowers Beach Camp is 1 km along the coast.
