Bakoven Beach, Cape Town
The verdict
- Best for: Couples and locals after a quiet, sheltered corner away from the Camps Bay crowds, with granite boulders, small coves and some of the best sunsets on the coast.
- Best spot: The little cove by the boulders at the end of Beta Beach, sheltered from the wind and perfectly placed for the sunset.
- Know this: These are tiny rocky coves with cold Atlantic water and few facilities, so come for the setting and the calm, not for a big sandy beach day.
Published 18 February 2026. Last reviewed 4 June 2026
Bakoven is the Atlantic seaboard with the volume turned down. Just south of the Camps Bay strip, where the road bends past the great granite boulders, a handful of tiny coves hide between the rocks, reached down quiet residential side streets. There is no promenade, no row of bars, no crowd, just small pockets of sand, clear cold water in the nooks between the boulders, and a settled, lived in calm.
The name comes from a boulder shaped like a baking oven, and the whole pocket has that small scale charm. Locals know it for sheltered swims on still days, for sundowners perched on the rocks, and above all for the sunsets, which here drop straight into the ocean with Lion's Head glowing behind you. Beta Beach, the best known of the coves, is a favourite quiet alternative when Camps Bay and Clifton are heaving.
Keep your expectations the right shape. These are small rocky coves, not a wide sandy beach, the water is cold open Atlantic, and there are no facilities to speak of, so you bring your own towel, drink and shade. There is no car park, so you hunt for street parking and walk down. But if you want a quiet, beautiful corner away from the scene, a sheltered swim and a front row sunset, Bakoven is one of the loveliest secrets on this coast.
Clubs near this beach
Bakoven has no club and barely any facilities; that quiet is the whole point. The nearest beachfront food and drink is the Camps Bay strip, a short drive or walk north along the coast.
The Camps Bay strip nearby
For cafes, cocktail bars and restaurants you head a short way north to the Camps Bay beachfront, the liveliest strip on the Atlantic seaboard. Bakoven itself stays residential and quiet, and venues and hours up the road are to be confirmed.
No beach club on the sand
There is no club, kiosk or sunbed service in the Bakoven coves; they are quiet public nooks between the boulders. Bring your own supplies. Details are to be confirmed.
Bakoven sits just south of Camps Bay on the Atlantic seaboard, about fifteen minutes by car from the city centre over Kloof Nek. The coves are reached down short residential side streets off Victoria Road, so watch for the small access paths between the houses as you follow the coast south.
There is no formal car park, so you rely on street parking and a short walk down to the sand, and it is worth arriving outside peak times to find a space. Bring everything you need, as there are no shops or kiosks on the coves, and a wind layer helps, since the southeaster can reach this coast. Conditions are never guaranteed.
Reserve a day at Bakoven
Bakoven is a quiet cove with no club, but tell us your date and party and we will point you to club style beds and bars elsewhere on the Cape. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Where is Bakoven Beach?
Bakoven is a small residential pocket just south of Camps Bay on the Atlantic seaboard, where Victoria Road bends past the granite boulders. Its coves are reached down short side streets, about fifteen minutes by car from the city over Kloof Nek.
Can you swim at Bakoven?
You can on still days, in the sheltered coves between the boulders, and the water is often clear. It is cold open Atlantic with rocks around and no lifeguard, though, so swim only if you are confident, and treat the ocean with respect as conditions are never guaranteed.
Is Bakoven good for sunsets?
Yes, it is one of the loveliest sunset spots on the coast, with the sun dropping straight into the Atlantic and Lion's Head behind you. Locals gather on the rocks for sundowners, especially on warm, still late summer evenings.
Are there facilities at Bakoven Beach?
Very few. This is a quiet residential corner with no shops, kiosks or formal car park, so bring your own towel, water and shade and use the Camps Bay strip nearby for cafes and toilets.
When is the best time to visit Bakoven?
Late summer in February and March brings warm, still evenings that suit the sheltered coves and the sunsets best. The southeast wind can reach the coast, so calm days are worth waiting for, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
