Clifton Beach, Cape Town
The verdict
- Best for: Sunbathers and couples after sheltered, picture perfect white sand on a windy coast, plus a fashionable scene and clear, calmer water than the open beaches.
- Best spot: Fourth Beach for the widest sand, easiest steps and seasonal lifeguards; Third Beach for a relaxed, stylish crowd away from the families.
- Know this: Access is down long flights of steps and the water is still cold Atlantic, so pack light, wear good footwear and come for the setting and the shelter.
Published 2 March 2026. Last reviewed 18 May 2026
Clifton is the beach the wind forgot. Where Camps Bay just south can be scoured by the summer southeaster, Clifton's four coves hide behind great granite boulders that block the gusts and hold the calm, which is exactly why generations of Capetonians have made it the place to sunbathe. The sand is bright white and soft, the water clear, and the whole stretch has a glamorous, slightly exclusive air earned over decades. On a still summer day it is as pretty as any beach in the city.
The four coves each have their own personality. Fourth Beach is the largest and the most practical, with the easiest steps, seasonal lifeguards, vendors and a Blue Flag pedigree, so it draws families and first timers. Third has long been a relaxed, fashionable favourite. First and Second pull a younger and often quieter crowd. Boulders separate them, so you pick your scene and settle in, and the people watching shifts from cove to cove. Vendors wander the sand with cold drinks and sarongs, which softens the lack of built facilities.
Two honest caveats. Every cove is reached down a long flight of steps from the road, so you carry everything down and haul it back up, and parking on Victoria Road is tight and competitive on warm days. And for all the shelter, this is still cold open Atlantic, so the swim is bracing rather than balmy. None of that dents the appeal. Come on a still day, claim a patch of that white sand, stay for the sunset, and Clifton shows you why it has been the seaboard's darling for so long.
Clubs near this beach
Clifton's coves are residential and have no club on the sand; vendors aside, that calm is the appeal. The nearest beachfront bars and restaurants are on the Camps Bay strip a short way south.
The Camps Bay strip nearby
For cocktail bars, cafes and restaurants you head a few minutes south to the Camps Bay beachfront, the liveliest strip on the seaboard. Clifton itself stays residential and quiet, and the venues and hours up the road are to be confirmed.
Beach vendors on the sand
There is no beach club or sunbed service on the Clifton coves, but vendors walk the sand with cold drinks, ice creams and sarongs, especially at Fourth Beach. It is casual and informal rather than a reserved club, and details are to be confirmed.
Clifton sits on the Atlantic seaboard just north of Camps Bay, about fifteen minutes by car from the city over Kloof Nek and down Victoria Road. The four coves lie below the road, each reached down its own long flight of steps, so look for the signed staircases as you follow the coast and pick the cove that suits the crowd you want.
Parking is on the road and fills fast on warm days, so come early or in the late afternoon for the sunset. Pack light because you carry everything down the steps and back up, wear footwear you can manage on stairs and sand, and bring sun cover and water. There is little shade, the water is cold, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed, so read any flags before you swim.
Reserve a day near Clifton
Clifton is a string of quiet coves with no club, but tell us your date and party and we will point you to the Camps Bay strip and club style spots elsewhere on the Cape. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Where is Clifton Beach in Cape Town?
Clifton is on the Atlantic seaboard just north of Camps Bay, reached off Victoria Road about fifteen minutes from the city over Kloof Nek. The four coves sit below the road and are reached down long flights of steps, so there is a walk down to the sand.
Why are there four beaches at Clifton?
Granite boulders split the shore into four separate sandy coves, known simply as First, Second, Third and Fourth. Each has its own character and crowd, and the boulders shelter them from the southeast wind, which is why Clifton stays calm when other beaches are blowing.
Can you swim at Clifton?
You can, and the water is clear and usually calmer than the open beaches because the coves are sheltered. It is still cold open Atlantic, so it is bracing, and there is no permanent lifeguard on every cove, so swim with care and treat the ocean with respect as conditions are never guaranteed.
Which Clifton beach is best?
Fourth Beach is the largest and most family friendly, with the easiest access, seasonal lifeguards and vendors. First and Second draw a younger, quieter crowd, and Third has long been a relaxed, fashionable favourite. It comes down to the scene you want.
Are there facilities at Clifton?
Facilities are limited, with the most at Fourth Beach where there are toilets, seasonal lifeguards and vendors walking the sand with cold drinks and snacks. There are no restaurants on the coves themselves, so bring what you need and use the Camps Bay strip nearby.
