Things to Do in Fish Hoek

Fish Hoek beach is proud to offer plenty of things to do in the surf in False Bay’s ocean.

The Fish Hoek Life Saving Club is an institution on the beach where local kids dream of being lifeguards, training for years to be fit and strong swimmers. It’s one of the best surf lifesaving clubs in South Africa, thanks to its specialised training programmes and volunteer-based first responder medical emergency care offered in peak season. Children start training with Nippers from age 4 until 14, learning about the ocean, swimming in the surf, safety skills and life-saving tactics.
Surf ski paddling is equally popular with parents and older kids at Fish Hoek’s surf ski school who enjoy group sessions in the early mornings, evenings and weekends. Start with the basics and learn how to surf ski like a pro before long, taking long paddles out to Millers Point and beyond!

Join the Fish Hoek Beach Sports Club if you want to do all of these things and more, as part of a warm, friendly community of active ocean lovers. Learn how to surf, paddle ski, surf ski, stand-up paddle board and sail Hobies. FHBSC is right next to Seaside Cottages and offers wonderful coffee and snacks, too. Meet the famous Mockes of Mocke Paddling School and ask for a lesson on your Fish Hoek holiday.

There is so much to do at Cape Point Nature Reserve, only 30 minutes from Fish Hoek and Seaside Cottages. Cape Point is the main attraction on the southern Peninsula! Pack a picnic lunch and go hiking, mountain biking, fishing, snorkelling, deep-sea diving and shipwreck spotting too. Jump on the exhilarating Flying Dutchman funicular to get up to the top lighthouse in minutes.

It was built in 1859 and is still there, a beacon of warning to all ships that pass here. Bartolomeu Dias first viewed and named Cape Point the ‘Cape of Storms’ in 1488, a landmark that sailors admired in rough seas, fog, storms and winds. Find Cape Point inside the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, within the Table Mountain National Park, a haven for the Cape Floral Region, and a World Heritage Site.

Everyone knows about Kalk Bay and everyone wants to see and experience its laid-back beauty and historical fishing vibe. The harbour and the park are the main attractions in Kalk Bay for sightseeing and seals, great fish and chips, cappuccinos and the aroma of the sea. A stroll down Main Street takes you into Bohemian clothing shops, art and book shops, bric-a-brac, collectables and cafes. Find fresh seafood, fresh coffee, authentic bars servicing South African wines, and rough old fishing boats sounding their horns. Walk around the cobbled streets, go up the many steps to Boyes Drive for a captivating view and listen to live music.

There is plenty of action and diverse activities in Simon’s Town, probably one of the oldest towns in South Africa. Take a walk there if you like long scenic road walks (about 90 minutes from Fish Hoek beach) or grab a bus or taxi. It’s gracious and old, elegant and vibey – sip a coffee overlooking the yacht basin and the huge navy harbour with all its ships and noises. Walk the streets and buy a curio or a second-hand shirt, order a pizza or sushi or a Durban curry.

Drive out of the town to see the penguins at Seaforth Beach or take a boat to Cape Point. This is the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula and so sheltered from the violent northwest and southeast gales that boating is a huge hobby here and even Simon van der Stel chose this bay for his own safest anchorage in the Cape!