Camps Bay is the most fashionable of Cape Towns beaches. Stroll down to the palm-fringed beach with its promenade of restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Spectacular views of the mountain ranges and sunsets over the bay. Camps Bay beachfront was Cape Town's first beach to attain the International Blue Flag Status. Nestled between the majestic Twelve Apostles and Lions Head, the palm-fringed bay is the ultimate in scenic attractions.

For those afraid to brave the invigorating sea temperatures of the Atlantic coast, a scenic drive to False Bay offers warmer waters at popular Muizenberg, Kalk Bay or Simonstown. For 'naturalists' wanting to get a little closer to the elements, Sandy Bay, a nature reserve, is also an unofficial nudist beach!

Llandudno beach is also a marvellous sunset beach, and close by, Sandy Bay is one of the few beaches where nude sunbathing is tolerated. You will need to walk for you efforts though, as there is no car park close by.

Further down the coast is the magnificently wide Noordhoek beach (one of three beaches also known as Long beach in Cape Town). You can walk along this beach for ages before you get to the other side. There is also a shipwreck, the Kakapo, stranded way above the high water mark.

Still on the Atlantic coast are Scarborough and Witsand beaches which are a lot less busy, but no less beautiful.

The warmer waters are found in False Bay, the Indian ocean side of the peninsula. The well known beaches here are Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and St James, but of course there are plenty of smaller ones for you to explore.

Muizenberg is one of the most popular beaches on the Peninsula. Bathing is safe along the entire beach. Here you have restaurants overlooking the sea, a recreation area with bathing and paddling pools, a playground and water slides, putt-putt and a lot more. The beach seems to go on forever.

St James with its shelly sand is extremely crowded on public holidays, but it is a beautiful and colourful beach, and there is a tidal pool.

Fish Hoek is a fantastic swimming spot as it is protected from the worst of the wind, and is placid. Excellent restaurants on the beach at this very family oriented venue. Safe bathing. Nearby Sunny Cove offers snorkellers some fun.

Around the bend are the beaches of Glencairn and Simonstown's Seaforth and Boulders beach. Boulders beach is particularly special because it is a real treasure island lagoon paradise, and you can swim among fish and penguins which is indeed rare.

Further south are the unspoilt beaches of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, many of them with shipwrecks to explore. A short walk from the lighthouse is Dias Beach, one of Cape Town's best.

Other beaches north of Cape Town are also worth noting. Melkbosstrand, Sunset beach and Bloubergstrand where you can see one of the world's most famous and much photographed views of Table Mountain across the bay.

All these beaches are readily accessible, and usually only a few minutes drive away. With a mountain behind and a glistening sea in front you can really know that this is one of the world's special places.