The Cape of Good Hope peninsula, in South Africa, has a unique charm, able to bewitch anyone. On its coasts, some wonderful windsurfing spots are positioned, both from the surrounding panorama point of view, and for the quality of the conditions offered. 

 

 

Windsurfing, review, spots, Cape Point, Platboom, Scarborough, Misty Cliffs, Witsands, South Africa

 

On average, the Cape Peninsula spots are more challenging than the others in the Western Cape, at north of Cape Town, although some are within the reach of intermediate level windsurfers. It is however appropriate to know properly their characteristics to exploit them in the best way, and to avoid their pitfalls.

If you love wild landscapes, such as those that can be observed on the Atlantic coasts of the United Kingdom, France or Portugal, or certain areas of North America, the Cape of Good Hope is for you. Nature here is the master, and windsurfing in these environments offers unforgettable emotions. In many spots, however, the waves are beautiful, clean and regular, and the Cape Doctor, the typical South East wind of Cape Town, if it rotates from East/South-East, only reaches the spots in this area, cutting out those ones at North of Cape Town. In such cases, therefore, it is a must to come here, instead of going to Sunset Beach, Big Bay, or Haakgat (read the review of these spots).

Coming from Cape Town, and proceeding from north to south, the first spot you come across is Witsands. Witsands, Misty Cliffs and Scarborough are outside the Table Mountain Natural Park, and you do not have to pay the park entrance ticket (330 rands - 18 euros/20 dollars in 2019) to access it. For this and other useful travel information on South Africa, read also the report of our trip in January 2019.

 

 

Witsands

 

Witsand is one of the few Cape spots, with a fairly wide sandy beach. It is located just north of the village of Scarborough. To reach the spot, in general, take the M4, towards Muizenberg, then take the M42 first, then the M64, and finally the M65 that will lead you to the sea, to the spot. You park in the widenings along the road, on the sea side (see the point shown in the map below, in this article). In all, you have a few dozen places to park. In particular, in correspondence with the widening shown on the map, you have a path, with stone steps in the first part, which leads down to the beach, through the coastal dune. Pay attention that already in this area the Cape baboons live, which are able to open any machines left unlocked, looking for food. They are also quite resourceful, and if you have some food in your hand, they could get close. Yell at them and run after them, and they will go away.

 

A session at Cape Point, however, is more challenging than those in the spots at north of Cape Town (and probably, even compared to the other spots of the Cape), because the landing points are very narrow, and in case of equipment breaking, or in case of physical problems, you can not return to the coast, where you want. Therefore, try to take the necessary precautions, and to take a good margin of safety. If you have problems with the South East wind, and you should drift downwind to such an extent that you can not even go back to Kleine Bucht, let yourself be drifted further to Platboom, where you have a larger sandy beach. With North West at Cape Point, downwind, you have practically only rocks (and small beach just near the Cape of Good Hope, with Kelps prairie in front).  

 

 

As for Platboom, we have not tried it yet with North West, but they tell us that it's a slightly more tolerant spot, probably because of the more extensive beach at the shore, that also admits a bit of drifting leeward. We will integrate the review, under this profile, as soon as possible.

You will have understood that, even in Platboom and Cape Point, you are in the middle of wild nature, and, therefore, there are no commercial establishments. But the charm of a day here will remain in your mind for a long time ...

Hang Loose. Fabio Muriano

Click here, for a slidegallery taken at Cape Point.

 

 

A video taken at Cape Point