Exclusive Suburbs in Cape Town
After the delights of Clifton, Victoria Drive leads out of the cliffs into Camps Bay. First established as a farm called Ravensteyn, this once-remote outpost was re-named after Commandant Van Kamp, an invalid sailor who cleverly married the widow of the farm’s original owner. Camps Bay is now one of the most exclusive suburbs in Cape Town, and with good reason.
Simply put, Camps Bay has three things going for it: location, location and location. Cradled between Devils Peak and Table Mountain, with the tearfully beautiful range of the Twelve Apostles stretching off to the South, Camps Bay has parlayed its exceptional setting into a large and very expensive enclave.
Thankfully, Camps Bay beach is open to all, and a sunset stroll along the beach is memorable. Smooth rocks, golden sand and exotic palm trees fringe the sea as the sky turns orange, red and rosy. Silhouettes of happy walkers pass before your eyes and, should you turn around, the mountains are there to complete the picture.
For surfers, the adjacent cove of Glen Beach offers some reliable breaks. But even paradise has its down side, and Camps Bay beach can be very windy and very busy. Furthermore, the beachside strip of shops and pricey restaurants is always packed and often jammed solid with cars.
To make matters worse, Cape Town is positively infested with models and assorted Eurotrash who have made Camps Bay their home away from home. The watering hole, frivolously named Caprice, is the High Temple of these Beautiful People, and the place to be if you want to sample the Scene.
Camps Bay is a suburb 11 km south-west of Cape Town, on the slopes of the Twelve Apostles. As you know, to ‘be camp’ as in limp-wristed,...