Neighbourhood guide · Salty · Bohemian · Slow
Kalk Bay
A fishing village that reads books
On the False Bay side, an hour's train ride from town, Kalk Bay stacks antique shops, tidal pools and a working harbour into a few hundred metres of coastline.
The fishing boats still come in around midday, and you can buy yellowtail straight off the deck while seals loiter for scraps. Behind the harbour, Main Road is a run of bookshops, vintage dealers and cafés that has resisted every attempt to tidy it up.
Swim at Dalebrook tidal pool at high tide, then take the harbour wall walk to the lighthouse. In winter, southern right whales pass close enough to hear them breathe.
Catch the train from Cape Town station if it's running the southern line — the track hugs the ocean from Muizenberg onwards and is one of the great short rail journeys anywhere.
Insider tip
Fish from the boat, not the menu
Ask at the harbour what came in that morning, then take it to one of the grills on Main Road — most will cook your fish for a small fee.
