South Africa has some of the world’s most beautiful unspoiled beaches. There are long stretches of white sand. South Africa was the first country outside Europe to use the Blue Flag international beach grading system. To achieve blue flag status, a beach must fulfil several requirements concerning safety, cleanliness, and amenities. Not all South African beaches are blue-flag beaches. This is merely a guide to assess services and safety of Beaches.
Blue flag status depends on the following criteria:
- High standard of life-saving services
- Sufficient ablutions
- Disabled access
- Information boards about the ecosystem
- Environmental management
- Facilities such as parking, access points
- Cleanliness
- Water safety
On the False Bay side of the peninsula, the water tends to be about 4 degrees warmer than on the Atlantic seaboard. False Bay stretches in a crescent shape from Cape Point on the west to the Helderberg beaches on the east. The beaches on the Atlantic side are somewhat protected from the southeast winds and face spectacular sunsets.
See a list of some of the best beaches in the Western Cape
Check the tides of Western Cape beaches here