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10 things to do in Kalk Bay, Cape Town

31/10/2018

8 Comments

 
Things to do in Kalk Bay, Cape Town
By Roxanne Reid
Kalk Bay lies between the mountains and the sea on South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. It’s a place to walk cobbled streets and find quirky shops. There’s an arty buzz, with galleries and people selling crafts on street corners. Stop for coffee, browse the bookshop, buy fish fresh from the sea, watch seals at the harbour. Here’s my pick of 10 things to do in Kalk Bay, Cape Town. 

You won’t be alone if you just walk the streets gawping at the sights, especially on the weekends when it’s a favourite hangout of young and old alike. Here every day feels like a holiday, even for people who live in Cape Town.

Soak up the vibe and admire the architecture, watch the trains rumble past just in front of your nose. Stop to chat to some of the local characters who are a large part of what makes Kalk Bay different from other Cape Town neighbourhoods.​​
Kalk Bay, Cape Town: busker
Busking for tips along a traffic queue
Kalk Bay, South Africa: local characters
Local buskers and laid-back workers are part of Kalk Bay's appeal
1. Take a scenic drive
Take the scenic hillside route to Kalk Bay along Boyes Drive, where you’ll see rushing waterfalls in winter and can stop to drink in the view of the harbour from above.
View of Kalk Bay, South Africa
2. Go whale-watching
Kalk Bay is a great whale-watching spot, especially when southern right whales visit between June and November. Look out for the whale info board on Boyes Drive, where you can stop for a good view of the bay. Sometimes you can see whales from the train.

3. Explore Kalk Bay Harbour
Visit the working harbour to watch colourful fishing boats come in with their catch. Sniff the tang of the sea as fishermen unload the boats, buy fresh fish to cook for supper. There’s a giant-sized seal who often haunts the harbour when the boats come in, knowing he’ll get a free meal. 
Kalk Bay Harbour at dawn
Kalk Bay Harbour at dawn
Fishing boats at Kalk Bay Harbour
Colourful boats at Kalk Bay Harbour
Arts and crafts at Kalk Bay Harbour
Support the artists and crafters who display their wares at Kalk Bay Harbour
4. Go for a hike
Park your car on Boyes Drive and hike (about two hours) to Echo Valley or the Boomslang Caves above Kalk Bay for wonderful views and fynbos. Take a torch if you want to explore inside the caves. To be safe, walk in groups of at least four or six people and be on the alert for dodgy characters who may be looking to mug you (a sad reality of life you need to be aware of).

5. Experience dinner theatre
Enjoy dinner and a show at the Kalk Bay Theatre in the 77-seater old Dutch Reformed church building at 52 Main Road, Kalk Bay. Open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, with dinner starting at 18:30 and the show at 20:30. You can also skip dinner and just go to the show. All info about how to get tickets is in the theatre link above.
What to do in Kalk Bay: Kalk Bay Theatre
The home of The Kalk Bay Theatre is an old Dutch Reformed church building
6. Discover the stories
Enjoy some of the 21 storyboards along the pathway next to the Main Road between Kalk Bay harbour and Muizenberg. Pictures, maps and text tell the stories of people who lived in the area over the past few hundred years. You’ll meet the KhoiSan hunter-gatherers and fisherfolk, learn about old buildings and places of worship, when the railway came in the early 1880s, how the mountains and the sea defined the people who lived here.

7. Admire old buildings
Look up to appreciate the old buildings of Kalk Bay, some of them beautifully restored, others with a patina of neglect. The Holy Trinity church dates back to 1873 and the Dutch Reformed church – now home to the Kalk Bay Theatre – to 1876. The Old Majestic Hotel, built in the 1920s, has been converted into upmarket apartments.
Holy Trinity Church, Kalk Bay
The Holy Trinity Church in Kalk Bay was built in 1873
Kalk Bay shops and decor details
Keep your eyes peeled for interesting details wherever you go in Kalk Bay
8. Go shopping
Wander along the Main Road and up some of the narrow alleys, losing yourself among antique and bric-a-brac shops, second-hand bookstores, clothing boutiques, bakeries, ice cream parlours and art galleries. There are also people selling crafts on street corners. Stop and chat to them before you buy; they’re an interesting lot.
Kalk Bay things to do: go shopping
Find antiques and collectables in a delightful clutter at the Trading Post
Kalk Bay shops and interesting alleyways
Take a trip down Memory Lane or lose yourself in a bookstore selling Africana
The Ice Cafe, Kalk Bay
The Ice Cafe sells great ice cream that people of all ages will enjoy on a hot summer's day
Kalk Bay shops, from clothing to antiques
You can find both modern and vintage clothing in Kalk Bay
Kalk Bay arts and crafts
Leather handbags made by one of many talented craftsmen you can meet on Kalk Bay's streets
9. Browse the bookshop
Browse the shelves at Kalk Bay Books for a well-chosen mix of nature, history, travel and fiction. You can ask to be added to their mailing list to be alerted to book launches, author signings and other events. 
Kalk Bay Books, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Browse and buy quality books at Kalk Bay Books
10. Enjoy food and drink
Perhaps my all-time best thing to do is to visit Kalk Bay restaurants and coffee shops for everything from coffee or a drink to breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here are some of the perennial favourites:
  • Brass Bell Kalk Bay – a few different spaces all situated close to the waves for a really immersive experience. Heavy on the seafood but there are steak and burger options too. It’s a great place for a few drinks but gets really busy on the weekends so if you want to eat you’d better book ahead.
  • Cape to Cuba – you’ll probably come for the mojitos or daiquiris but you’ll love it for the jumble of colourful chandeliers, mismatched chairs and clutter, the vibey music redolent of Havana cigar smoke and tango dancers. There’s a tip of the hat to Ernest Hemingway and Che Guevara too. The food flavour is Cuban with a hint of Cajun and a wallop of chilli.
Cape to Cuba, Kalk Bay
Come to Cape to Cuba for the mojitos, stay for the vibe
Kalk Bay restaurants: Cape to Cuba
Cape to Cuba has a view of the sea
  • ​​Olympia Café Kalk Bay – unpretentious and very popular hangout with good coffee, salads, pasta, burgers. You’re welcome to bring your dog. Visit the bakery around the corner for a range of breads and pastries to take home.
  • Harbour House Kalk Bay and Live Bait – you won’t find better views than at these two sister restaurants right on the rocks at the harbour. Watch waves crash on the rocks from Live Bait or look down on them and out to sea from Harbour House upstairs. Both offer great seafood options, and Live Bait has the best seafood pasta in Cape Town while the crème brulee at Harbour House would be worth a trip, even if the fish and views weren’t so fab.
Kalk Bay restaurants: Live Bait Kalk Bay
Live Bait has a view of the harbour and sea
Restaurants in Kalk Bay, Cape Town: Live Bait Kalk Bay
Harbour House and Live Bait serve delectable fresh fish
Let’s face it, there’s so much to do in Kalk Bay that you can’t do it all in a single day. Capetonians can come back whenever they like, but my best advice for visitors is to tag on at least an extra day to your stay in Cape Town (find and book hotels in Cape Town here). Once you’ve seen all the other famous Cape Town sights – like Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Robben Island, Cape Point, the penguins at Boulders Beach – you’re sure to want to return to Kalk Bay to experience its vibe and atmosphere a second time.

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Want to explore the vibrant fishing village of Kalk Bay, Cape Town? Find out the best things to do in Kalk Bay, South Africa. Discover Kalk Bay Harbour, Kalk Bay restaurants, Kalk Bay Books, Kalk Bay Theatre, Olympia Café Kalk Bay, Brass Bell Kalk Bay, Cape to Cuba Kalk Bay, Harbour House Kalk Bay, Live Bait Kalk Bay, Kalk Bay shops, and the pleasure of finding antiques, galleries, arts and crafts. #KalkBay #CapeTown #SouthAfrica #thingstodo
Want to explore the vibrant fishing village of Kalk Bay, Cape Town? Find out the best things to do in Kalk Bay, South Africa. Discover Kalk Bay Harbour, Kalk Bay restaurants, Kalk Bay Books, Kalk Bay Theatre, Olympia Café Kalk Bay, Brass Bell Kalk Bay, Cape to Cuba Kalk Bay, Harbour House Kalk Bay, Live Bait Kalk Bay, Kalk Bay shops, and the pleasure of finding antiques, galleries, arts and crafts. #KalkBay #CapeTown #SouthAfrica #thingstodo
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Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
8 Comments
Kayla link
3/11/2018 10:45:03 am

Looks like a perfect place to chill out in for a few days! Love that you can see the whales from the train, that's pretty special!

Reply
Roxanne
3/11/2018 11:43:39 am

Thanks for reading, Kayla. It's a very special place, so much to do and see or, as you say, just chill out.

Reply
Alexandra
3/11/2018 01:49:48 pm

The artists corner at Kalk Bay Harbour looks amazing! Would be very interesting to see a feature on street art (if there is any) as well! :)

Reply
Roxanne
4/11/2018 06:27:47 am

There is some street art, Alexandra, but Kalk Bay is less known for its street art than the neighbourhood of Woodstock in Cape Town.

Reply
the Curious Pixie link
3/11/2018 05:30:30 pm

When we were in South Africa last year, we only had a short stop on whilst driving the Garden Route. Would love to come back with more time.

Reply
Roxanne
4/11/2018 06:28:42 am

You definitely need to spend more time in South Africa. The Garden Route is beautiful but there's a lot more to South Africa than that!

Reply
Kenny Vorster
26/1/2021 03:42:03 pm

Olympia Cafe. Please revisit as I did today. Absolutely pathetic. Staff not wearing masks behind counter or in kitchen. Dancing and singing to each other. Has become a real joint. Pickled fish dried out. Salad fresh. Staff all belong in a commune for the weird

Reply
Roxanne
27/1/2021 09:47:19 am

Thanks for your comment, Kenny. I think restaurants are all struggling in so many ways in these Covid times, so I'm prepared to cut them some slack. However, if they're not wearing masks I agree that is totally not on.

Reply

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    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
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