Noordhoek is a suburb of Cape Town below Chapman's Peak on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula. The name "Noordhoek" from Dutch literally means ‘north corner’. It is a picturesque coastline and is famous for its long, wide, sandy beach which stretches south to Kommetjie.
Get to Noordhoek from the coastal road, Chapman's Peak Drive or from Ou Kaapse Weg which cuts through the beautiful Silvermine Nature Reserve – part of the Table Mountain National Park. Noordhoek is a sought-after suburb for sea views and larger properties to house the large horse population. Noordhoek has two main commercial centres – the Red Herring Trading Centre and Noordhoek Farm Village – where a variety of shops and restaurants can be enjoyed.
Beach
Noordhoek Beach is four kilometres long and stretches from the foot of Chapman’s Peak to Long Beach in Kommetjie. Apart from the cold water, the powerful surf and strong backwash tend to discourage swimming. This beautiful stretch of white sand is perfect for long walks, especially at low tide.
The backshore of the beach is often covered by a shallow tidal lagoon, which is frequented by a variety of seabirds. Behind the beach, the Noordhoek Wetlands is undeveloped land that becomes waterlogged in winter. This area is now protected and forms an ecological corridor linking the northern and southern National Park.
Unfortunately, the further reaches of Noordhoek beach are rather isolated – particularly during the week – so it is advisable not to walk alone.
Surfing
Dunes (Noordhoek)
Around the corner from Long beach (Kommetjie) on a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach (about a 30min walk) this wave breaks on sand and runs both left and right. When it is bigger it gets hollow and is great for getting barrelled. It can hold up to 10 foot, but is difficult to paddle out to the back line. Not for the inexperienced surfer. The wind blows offshore here with a south-easterly wind (summer) and does not work well on any other wind.
The Hoek
The Hoek is right in the corner of Noordhoek beach and is not visible from the car park – one has to walk around an outcrop of rocks to be able to view it. This wave breaks right on a very small beach and is popular in summer with body-boarders and short-boarders for its hollow wave where one can get barrelled. It is not a very long running wave and needs to be caught on the far right by the rocks to be able to surf it correctly. This surf spot also works on a south-easterly wind (summer).
Dungeons
This is a big wave surf spot and is only accessible by boat. The wave breaks right and is very heavily felt if it closes out on you and will hold you under water for a long period before releasing you up for air. Only to be surfed by the seasoned surfer who knows what he is doing in BIG surf. This spot is offshore on a north-westerly wind.
Surfing Source Reference: Surfing
Dunes (Noordhoek)
Around the corner from Long beach (Kommetjie) on a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach (about a 30min walk) this wave breaks on sand and runs both left and right. When it is bigger it gets hollow and is great for getting barrelled. It can hold up to 10 foot, but is difficult to paddle out to the back line. Not for the inexperienced surfer. The wind blows offshore here with a south-easterly wind (summer) and does not work well on any other wind.
The Hoek
The Hoek is right in the corner of Noordhoek beach and is not visible from the car park – one has to walk around an outcrop of rocks to be able to view it. This wave breaks right on a very small beach and is popular in summer with body-boarders and short-boarders for its hollow wave where one can get barrelled. It is not a very long running wave and needs to be caught on the far right by the rocks to be able to surf it correctly. This surf spot also works on a south-easterly wind (summer).
Dungeons
This is a big wave surf spot and is only accessible by boat. The wave breaks right and is very heavily felt if it closes out on you and will hold you under water for a long period before releasing you up for air. Only to be surfed by the seasoned surfer who knows what he is doing in BIG surf. This spot is offshore on a north-westerly wind.
When to Go
For beach and sightseeing holidays, the summer months between October and April are the best times to visit Cape Town in general. The summer months are also characterised by the south-easterly winds known locally as the ‘south-easter’, the strength of which increase as you travel further south. December/January is the time most South Africans take their annual holiday and the summer break for school children, so booking is often essential. The Season changes in April and October have unpredictable weather.
Winters are mild with temperatures ranging from 8ºC to 17ºC. Winter is the rainy season but it is also the best time to dive, surf and to see whales and sharks in False Bay. It is also the flowering season of a lot of fynbos plants. There is something to be said for sipping on the Cape’s award-winning red wines and enjoying a warm crackling fire, while a storm rages outside. Winter storms churn up the sea, whipping the mucus from the kelp into white foam which gives the distinct ‘smell of the sea’.
Climate
Cape Town has a Mediterranean-style climate: wet and cool winters, dry and warm summers. Average summer temperatures are 24ºC with January and February averaging 26ºC. Cape Town lies 34 degrees south (latitude) however, it’s environment is a collection of micro-climates of which the Southern Peninsula has more than one. Apart from the air pressure, wind and temperatures, a few other factors influence local weather including the cold current, mountains and built-environment. It is a good idea to check the weather forecasts for the daily weather.
The cold Benguela Current (which moves north past Cape Town) and the prevailing southeast winds cause upwelling (which is when colder water from lower levels rise to the surface). This makes for very cold water on this side of Table Mountain. The cold waters are rich in biodiversity and home to many organisms. One visible organism is Sea Bamboo (kelp) which is washed up onto the beaches during winter storms. The fronds can grow up to 15m. Common on the rocky coastline, this kelp provides ecosystem niches and shelter for fish nurseries. It is what creates the very distinct but pleasant ‘smell of the sea’ in the air, which is mostly noticeable in winter.
Flora
The predominant vegetation type in this sandy region of the valley is the endangered Hangklip Sand Fynbos. The sides of the valley are home to Cape Granite Fynbos. Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos can be found higher up on the surrounding mountains. The latter two vegetation types (also both endangered) are endemic to the Cape Peninsula and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Fauna
On land
The Southern Peninsula is a patchwork of built-up areas in the mountain valley and along the coast. Parts of the area falls into the Table Mountain National Park where small and often endemic animals such as tortoises, snakes, lizards, frogs and toads can be observed.
Mammals
The game reserves are the place to see large mammals such as Cape Mountain Zebra, Chacma Baboon, Rock Hyrax (known locally as dassies), Genet, Lynx, Striped Field Mouse, Cape Grey and Water Mongoose and Cape Clawless Otter.
Antelope are also found here, including: Bontebok, Eland, Cape Grysbok, Red Hartebeest, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok Grey Duiker and Klipspringers.
Note: Please always be aware of Baboons in and around the mountains. Please do not feed them.
Reptiles
Look out for the bright blue-headed Southern Rock Agama, the prehistoric-looking Black Girdled Lizard and the Cape Skink. There are some interesting endemic and endangered Amphibians: the Table Mountain Ghost Frog is a special find, but look out for the Cape Chirping Frog, Cape River Frog, the endangered Leopard Toad and the tiny Arum Lily Frog. The two species of tortoise, the Angulate Tortoise and the Parrot-beaked Tortoise, are common.
There are 22 snake species, ten of which are non-venomous, although they can still deliver a nasty bite if provoked. Some of the venomous species include the Cape Cobra, the Puff Adder, Boomslang, Rinkhals and Berg Adder. The good news is it they are mostly shy and will avoid human contact. The one you are most likely to encounter is the Puff Adder which enjoys nice warm spots, such as rocks and pathways (best to keep out of its way).
Insects
Insects play an integral role in the fynbos ecosystem either by directly pollinating plants or as a vital source of nutrient for birds and animals. Some are especially adapted to pollinate specific plants. Look out for butterflies such as the Mountain Pride Butterfly that is the exclusive pollinator of a variety of red plants such as the Red Disa and the Red Crassula.
Birds
The many niches and habitats that exist (ocean, shoreline, cliff-face, rocky highland, fynbos, forest and suburbia) contribute to a large species count, as does the geographical positioning at a continent's corner, many vagrants and seasonal visitors can be spotted. For a full bird list or birding checklist see the SANparks website or for further information on birding in the Cape Peninsula, The Cape Bird Club’s website has more information.
Seabirds
Apart from the usual seaside gulls (Kelp, Hartlaub's and Black-headed Gulls), you can also encounter Cape Gannets, Black-Browed Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, White-Chinned and Giant Petrels. The endangered African Black Oystercatcher can be seen on the rocks cracking open mussels. Cormorants include; the Crowned, Bank, White-breasted and Cape Cormorant. They make a spectacular sight when returning home after a day’s fishing, flying low in V-formations. If you are out on the water you will usually come across African Penguins bobbing in the water, or you can easily take a trip to Boulder’s Beach to see them on land. One of the few places (other than islands) where penguins come ashore.
Under the water
Species that occur here range from microscopic planktons, crustaceans, abalone and rock lobster to the Great White shark and the Southern Right Whale. Numerous types of fish such as those good-eating fish; Hake, Yellowtail and Cape Salmon. Others include Red Roman, White Steenbras and Galjoen – popular for recreational anglers but under strictly regulated conditions due to their threatened status.
To find out the status of fish, simply SMS "fish species" to +27 79 4998795.
Transport
Travelling around in this area of Cape Town is best done with a hired car, taxi or Uber. The MyCiti bus system does not function in the Southern Peninsula yet and private bus companies run routes within and around the Southern Peninsula only. The traffic to the city centre and northern areas is congested and best avoided during rush hours. The locals that can, prefer to stay in the south and venture further north only when necessary.
The Cape Town mobile app TCT (Transport Cape Town) includes the trains. The app is available for the following smartphones: Windows Phone, iPhone android and Blackberry and under the name ‘TCT’ (look for the red logo).
Taxis
-There are plenty of safe and reliable taxi companies in Cape Town, but you cannot just hail a taxi in the street, a telephone call is required.
-Mini-bus Taxis are shared taxis can be hailed in the street on busy routes. There is a lot of bad press about minibus taxis, to be safe stick to the busy routes during the day.
-Uber operates in the Southern Peninsula.
-Scooters and Motorbikes can be hired.
-Metrorail operates short distance commuter trains from Cape Town to Simon’s Town through the southern suburbs. For the map of the lines see Metrorail.
Source Reference: www.garysurf.co.za/surf-spots
Images sourced from the awesome Noordhoek Farm Village and De Noordhoek hotel websites: http://www.thefarmvillage.co.za/ and www.denoordhoek.co.za
- Horse Riding along a beautiful white beach
- Rustic shopping village with restaurants and pubs and a playground
- Shopping centres for all the basics and more
- Enjoy long walks or beach games with the family
- Hiking trails, especially Silvermine is a must! Picnic spots available
- The scenery here amongst the mountains is absolutely beautiful
- Road cycling is very popular in the area
- Take a drive along the infamously beautiful Chapman's Peak and visit Hout Bay on the other side!
- Fishing and surfing opportunities abound
Governor-general Van Imhoff granted the Noordhoek farm to Christina Russouw in 1743. She also owned Imhoff’s Gift and extensive land in Simon’s Town. Noordhoek was well known for providing the men-o’-war in Simon’s Town with fresh vegetables. For many years Noordhoek was a remote and inaccessible corner of the southern peninsula. For nearly 300 years the only road was the main road to Fish Hoek. It was not until 1923, that the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive was opened. Ou Kaapse Weg was built in 1960s.
Near the southern end of this beach is the wreck of the steamship ‘Kakapo’, which ran aground about a century ago when the captain mistook Chapmans' Peak for the Cape of Good Hope.
