Ten minutes on foot south of the Camps Bay strip, the road drops into Bakoven: a tight cluster of cottages threaded by narrow lanes, set against the Twelve Apostles and surrounded by fynbos. It is a genuinely different world to the beach it neighbours, and it stays quiet even when Camps Bay is at its busiest.
The shoreline here is not one beach but several tiny coves, each sheltered by enormous granite boulders. The sand is white and shelly, the water is clear, and the scale is intimate.
Where the name comes from
Bakoven is Dutch and Afrikaans for baking oven. The name is said to come from a boulder formation at the main beach that resembles a traditional Dutch oven, and it dates back to at least the early 1800s.
The coves
Local naming is a little inconsistent, but the shoreline is generally described as a handful of small coves. The main sandy cove was historically a fishing harbour, one of the few reasonably protected inlets on this stretch of coast, and it is now home to the National Sea Rescue Institute’s Station 2. That station was the very first NSRI base, built by volunteers from Bakoven, Camps Bay and Clifton in 1967.
Beta Beach, a small shelly cove looking back towards Lion’s Head, is the pick for swimming and snorkelling. The others are smaller again and more boulder strewn.
Fishing history
The bungalows here began as temporary corrugated iron and timber fishing shacks, built without foundations so they could be removed ahead of South Easter gales. Early residents fished for snoek, kob and mackerel from wooden boats launched directly off the beach. A restored boat shed from around 1910 still stands at the foot of the main stairs.
Why come here instead of Camps Bay
- It is far quieter, with no restaurant strip and very limited parking, which keeps crowds away
- The boulder sheltered coves offer real protection when the South Easter makes the main beach unpleasant
- Better snorkelling and clearer water in the sheltered inlets
- Excellent sea glass hunting at low tide
- Sunsets without the crowd
Activities include swimming, snorkelling, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking and sunbathing on the boulders. The Twelve Apostles hiking trails begin nearby, and the coastal road south leads to Oudekraal, Llandudno and eventually Chapman’s Peak.
Practical notes
- Parking is very limited. Arrive early or walk from Camps Bay.
- Two MyCiTi stops serve the area, Bakoven and Barley Bay.
- Toilets are available, but there is no food or drink on site. Bring what you need or walk back to the strip.
- Space on the sand is genuinely tight. These are small coves.
For families, Beta Beach is the most suitable of the coves for its calmer, more sheltered water.
