Cold water swimming is an activity that lends itself to Cape Town’s chilly Atlantic ocean, and has become very popular in Cape Town over the past few years. With water temperatures averaging 13 degrees Celsius, Cape Town is a great place for cold water exposure in beautiful environments.
Try an early morning immersion at one of the locations below, and you're sure to bump into some locals doing the same.
Camps Bay has a wide, sun-drenched beach, tantalising water and surfable waves, but if you’re not looking for surf, head over to the beautiful tidal pool. Bring a towel, bathing suit, comfortable clothing for moving and something warm for after the immersion.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jAbq18paRkLEeouP6
Cape Town’s most famous and popular tidal pool – it’s the one you’ll see on the postcards, with its multicoloured changing huts. It’s below the railway line near St James Station, tucked neatly between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay. Have a coffee and yummy breakfast along the Kalk Bay strip after your cold water plunge.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ExJwzLcdGUiZnbXg8
Hidden among clumps of rocks, these two sheltered tidal pools offer spectacular views of the mountains and ocean. Camps Bay is known for its buzzy restaurant strip, and the prospect of taking a dip in these pools is yet another incentive to visit.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/b6U8qwfv47WwpHHE7
Nestled between St James and Kalk Bay lies one of the most beautiful pools in False Bay. The large boulders in the pool invite bathers to make like mermaids contemplating the horizon… There’s a strong community spirit here and it’s also a fabulous whale-watching spot.