Le spiagge del Sud Africa

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Created on Friday, 15 November 2013 14:13

Il Sud Africa ha centinaia di chilometri di spiagge. Ce ne sono per tutti i gusti: lunghissime e larghe, di sabbia bianchissima; piccole e racchiuse da grandi rocce; medie e incastonate in semicerchi di palme e di vegetazione quasi tropicale; popolate da colonie di pinguini e di foche; assediate da milioni di uccelli marini che diffondono per chilometri un odore niente affatto piacevole ma assolutamente naturale; situate alla foce di fiumi che si possono risalire in barca per qualche centinaio di metri o alcuni chilometri.

I sudafricani dell'entroterra vanno al mare durante le vacanze scolastiche, che cadono per tutti in dicembre, e poi con piccole differenze nel periodo di Pasqua e in luglio. Se dicembre e Pasqua vanno bene per tutti, soltanto Durban può invece vantare un luglio adatto alla balneazione, mentre al Capo questa è la stagione delle piogge. In compenso l'estate australe, da dicembre ad aprile, è secca nella provincia del Capo e piovosa nel resto del paese.

Le temperature dell'acqua oceanica non sono quelle mediterranee. Lungo la costa atlantica la media non supera i 15 gradi centigradi tutto l'anno. A mano a mano che si sale lungo la costa bagnata dall'Oceano Indiano, invece, aumentano le temperature sia dell'acqua che dell'ambiente esterno. Da Durban fino al Mozambico il termometro in estate supera quasi sempre i 30 gradi e non è raro che tocchi anche i 40.

South Africa's year-round beaches

South Africa boasts some of the finest beaches in the world. From the pristine coastal stretch of Cape Vidal in KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape's famous Wild Coast, from the penguin colony of Boulders Beach to sun-drenched Camps Bay in the Western Cape … when it comes to beaches, we win, hands down.

Our beaches are much more than a haven for sun-worshippers and surfers. There's so much to see and do along our dramatic coastline, including a range of wonderful multi-day coastal hikes. Here's a quick rundown on some of the best beaches in South Africa.

Eastern Cape

Port St John's, Wild Coast: An extravagantly beautiful, fairly undeveloped piece of tropical coastline, offering great swimming and good lazing in the waters of the coastal lagoon.

Port Elizabeth: Port Elizabeth's benign beaches, protected by the gentle curves of Algoa Bay, offer safe swimming and surfing. Kings Beach is a well- known favourite, while Hobie Beach is popular with locals.

East London: The laid-back city of East London has a thriving beach culture, with sand dunes, rock outcrops and ocean views. Orient Beach has good swimming, and the black rocks of Eastern Beach are great for photos and exploration. Or you could take long walks down Nahoon Beach and Gonubie Beach.

KwaZulu-Natal

Cape Vidal, iSimangaliso Wetland Park:One of the finest beaches in the country, with long stretches of snow-white sand. Visitors can explore the many rock pools along the beach, and sight humpback whales in October.

Umhlanga Rocks: North of Durban, the beaches of Umhlanga come alive during the South African school holidays. There's sea swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, rock pools and warm tidal pools.

South Beach, Durban: Part of Durban's world-famous Golden Mile, South Beach is ideal for swimming and surfing. And there's plenty to do along the beachfront: hawkers sell Zulu beadwork, baskets, woodwork and handicrafts, and ricksha drivers ply their trade. And at the end of the Golden Mile, spanning over 15 hectares of prime beachfront, lies uShaka Marine World, Africa's biggest marine theme park.

Margate, South Coast: The fun capital of the KwaZulu- Natal Hibiscus Coast, drawing crowds of mainly young people in the summer holidays.

Western Cape: Cape Peninsula

Camps Bay: The Western Cape's answer to St Tropez. It's popular with the beautiful people of the world and offers spectacular views of Lion's Head and the Twelve Apostles. Sunsets on Camps Bay are a real treat.

Clifton: This is Cape's "millionaire's row". Known by film crews and fashion magazines as the perfect beach location, Clifton is a favourite for international models and film stars – and the locals love it too.

Bloubergstrand: Bloubergstrand literally means "blue mountain beach" in Afrikaans, and is derived from Blaauwberg, a nearby mountain. It offers spectacular views of Cape Town's Table Mountain and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for more than 20 years.

Boulders Beach: Boulders Beach, part of Table Mountain National Park, is a haven for jackass (African) penguins. A small entrance fee covers the upkeep of the sanctuary. The huge granite boulders make for spectacular scenery, and the swimming is great.

Hermanus: The sleepy town of Hermanus is known as the best land-based whale-watching site in the world. Every year the town holds a Whale Festival to mark the spring migration of southern right whales. Grotto Beach has won international recognition for its pristine condition and excellent facilities.

Muizenberg: Lying on the Indian Ocean seaboard, Muizenberg's water is warmer than that of other Atlantic Ocean beaches of the Cape peninsula, making it a favourite for swimmers and a great family beach.

Western Cape: Garden Route

Noetzie: Just outside Knysna, this little town of Noetzie, famous for the three romantic castles on its beach. Not too far away are the pristine sands of Buffels Bay, also worth a visit.

Plettenberg Bay: One of South Africa's favourite holiday playgrounds, Plett is home to two incredible beaches, Robberg and Lookout. Robberg offers whale watching, and Lookout some remarkable views of the Outeniqua mountains – as well as spectacular sunsets over the sea.

SAinfo reporter, with content from South African Tourism
Reviewed: October 2013
www.southafrica.info

Your top 10 South African beaches

By: Adel Groenewald
Getaway Magazine

Summer holidays and beach outings go hand-in-hand in South Africa, especially since we have so many beautiful beaches to choose from. And since we always tell your where to go and what to do, we thought we’d turn the tables around a bit and let you give your opinion. So, we asked you via Facebook, Twitter and an online survey what your favourite beaches around South Africa are.

So in a very specific order, here are your top 10 South African beaches.

1. Clifton, Western Cape
‘The reason I love Clifton Beach is because it’s not only such a beautiful stretch of beach, but there’s almost always such an awesome vibe there’ says Kirsty Nelson of Port Elizabeth.

2. Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal
‘This beach gets my vote – it has warm sea, great year-round weather and a lovely boardwalk. Along with the relaxed town atmosphere makes it hard to beat anywhere in South Africa’ says Philip Orolowitz of Cape Town.

3. Llandudno, Western Cape
‘Llandudno is the best sundowner beach in world. With the sun setting over the sea and the golden mountains behind you, what more could you ask for?’ says Gregg Mandy of Johannesburg.

4. Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal
‘Ballito offers a promenade for long relaxing walks and great swimming beaches. It’s also child and animal friendly’ says Inge Olivier of Klerksdorp.

5. Camps Bay, Western Cape
‘Every time I start the descent to Camps Bay, the view makes my breath catch in my throat. Just before sunset, the sky lights up in bursts of colour that couldn’t be captured realistically by the most talented artist. Camps Bay holds its breath all day, waiting in anticipation for the night, as the sun retreats languidly into its ocean bed, as the party-goers creep out into the shadows, the cocktails start flowing, the music intensifies and laughter echoes from bars and restaurants, spilling out onto the sidewalk. It’s alive at night, there’s a happening on every corner and never a dull moment’ says Celine Fjeldheim of Cape Town.

6. Durban North Beach, KwaZulu-Natal
‘Durban North Beach boasts a beautiful sunrise that captures your heart. You always have fun in the sun with the warmest waters in Southern Africa and it plays host to the cultural diversity of Durban,’ says Durbs local Shakira Kahn.

7. Cape Vidal, KwaZulu-Natal
‘Cape Vidal is a place where kids will discover an imaginary real world: from snorkeling at low tide in the natural tidal pool, to being mesmerized by the rich marine life. It’s a place where nature and people weave together, a magic carpet of memories’ says Riana Mostert of Pretoria.

8. Margate, KwaZulu-Natal
‘I just love Margate beach as it is the best of both worlds. The south side of the beach caters for kids and then for the more mature folk there is the north side’ says Dieter Behrendt, of Krugersdorp.

9. Blouberg, Western Cape
‘Blouberg has best views and the best sunsets in the world’ says Blaire Milne of Oudtshoorn.

10. Longbeach, Noordhoek, Western Cape
‘Longbeach is vast and flat, sometimes almost desolate – with Chapman’s Peak towering in the background and the Kommetjie Lighthouse to the south, it’s the perfect spot to take in fresh sea air’ says William Oosthuizen of Cape Town.