Bakoven is a really lovely place to stay in Cape Town that offers some quite stunning beachfront accommodations. It also makes a great starting point for your trip to South Africa. It’s common to ignore Bakoven’s beach in favour of nearby Camps Bay’s trendier beach, but make no mistake: Bakoven is one of Cape Town’s most coveted neighbourhoods, and the vistas are just breathtaking.
Although Bakoven has been compared to Camps Bay’s younger sister, the neighbourhood has chosen to keep its exclusivity and pleasant village-like atmosphere in order to avoid the continual commotion of its more well-known sibling. On the other side, Bakoven’s position, right as you leave Camps Bay on your way to Llandudno, is ideal if you’re looking for a hive of vitality and action. You can opt to be near the action or far from it, depending on your preference.
Bakoven’s beach is small and fiercely guarded by residents, but it is naturally beautiful, with enormous boulders and white beaches that make it a great place for sundowners, and has smaller coves that shield it from the wind. Even though the V&A Waterfront and the city centre are only ten minutes away from this location, if you’re staying in one of the charming coastal bungalows on Victoria Road’s beach side, you could think you’re miles away from the city.
Brief History Of Bakoven
The oddly formed rock that it overlooks is said to be the source of Bakoven’s Dutch ancestry. It was established in the early 1800s and is now inhabited by a close-knit group of people who are the little bungalows’ original owners’ descendants. Beta Beach, where the NSRI is located, Little Beach, and Tiny Beach are the three beaches in Bakoven. Due to its location as one of the few decently protected inlets close to the city, Beta Beach was once a fishing harbour. All along the beach, fishing shacks were built above the high water mark, and there are some fantastic photos to prove it. The Khoi San people, who are the original inhabitants of the Cape and have also combed the famous beaches, lived there before European settlers arrived.