One of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets may be Oudekraal. You won’t find much information about this stunning bay, cleverly positioned between Bakoven and Llandudno and surrounded by boulders and home to its own seal colony if you conduct a simple Internet search. This picturesque area, which is a part of the Table Mountain National Park, is framed by the Twelve Apostles and features a number of sheltered coves and tiny sandy beaches in between the enormous granite boulders. Some of the braai (barbecue) sites are meticulously maintained and are shaded by Milkwood trees, while others have stunning views of the mountain and the sea. Although technically speaking, Oudekraal operates under a “no alcohol” guideline, much like all beaches, there is also a boma that may be reserved for events.
Divers love Oudekraal, and several sea diving courses take advantage of the protected coves’ abundant underwater life and the nation’s oldest known wreck, Het Huis te Kraaiensteing (1670). It served as the location for Vodacom’s most recent “Jazz on the Rocks” event, a novel idea for live music in public areas.
The owner, a would-be developer, recently lost a legal struggle over his ambitions to establish a residential subdivision in Oudekraal on this valuable mountain slope and ecologically sensitive territory. This national treasure continues to be enjoyed by South Africans and tourists alike, untouched by the forces of development.
