I’ve been guiding visitors around Cape Town and Southern Africa for over 20 years. In that time I’ve watched the same handful of spots get photographed a million times while entire neighbourhoods, beaches, and viewpoints that Capetonians genuinely love sit quietly undiscovered.
That’s not a criticism of the popular spots – Table Mountain and Boulders Beach are iconic for good reason. But if you’re the kind of traveller who wants to see a place as it actually is, rather than as it appears on a postcard, this list is for you.
These are places I visit myself. Places I take guests on our private Cape Town tours when they ask me: “Where would you actually go?” I’ve been honest about what makes each one special – and what to watch out for.
Secret beaches
Oudekraal – the Atlantic picnic spot that tourists drive straight past
Tucked between Camps Bay and Llandudno inside the Table Mountain National Park, Oudekraal is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you ever went anywhere else. Enormous granite boulders tumble into turquoise water. The Atlantic here is calmer than almost anywhere else on this coastline. And on a summer weekend when Camps Bay is heaving, Oudekraal is peaceful.
The reason most tourists miss it is simple: there’s no sign telling you to stop. If you’re driving the Atlantic Seaboard without a guide, it’s easy to pass without even noticing the turnoff.
What makes it special for families is that the boulders create natural tidal pools — sheltered, calm, and safe for children to swim. There’s also a designated braai area, which is why you’ll find Capetonians here on long summer evenings with a cooler box and no intention of leaving quickly.
Local tip: Arrive before 10am in summer to get a good spot near the water. By midday, the regulars have claimed the best boulders.
We pass Oudekraal on our Full Day Cape Peninsula & Penguins Private Tour and always point it out – and on quieter days, we stop.
Beta Beach – the Camps Bay that locals actually use
Camps Bay is beautiful and deservedly famous. It’s also, in peak season, extremely busy. What almost no visitor realises is that if you walk around the rocky headland at the southern end of Camps Bay beach, you reach Beta Beach – a small, sheltered cove that feels like a completely different world.
The Twelve Apostles mountain range rises directly behind it. At sunset, the light on those peaks is extraordinary. And because reaching Beta Beach requires a short walk rather than a parking spot, the crowds thin dramatically. It’s the kind of place where Capetonians go when they want the beauty of the Atlantic Seaboard without the noise.
Local tip: Beta Beach faces west. Time your visit for late afternoon and you’ll have one of the finest sunset views in the city.
Scenic drives most tourists miss
Boyes Drive – the viewpoint road that beats Chapman’s Peak for drama
Chapman’s Peak Drive is spectacular, and we always include it on our Full Day Cape Peninsula & Penguins Private Tour. But there’s another road that locals quietly prefer for a different kind of view: Boyes Drive, which runs along the mountain above Kalk Bay and Muizenberg, overlooking False Bay.
From Boyes Drive you can see the full sweep of False Bay. On a clear day, all the way to the Hottentots Holland Mountains on the far shore. Below you, the Kalk Bay fishing harbour sits in a bowl of colour. It’s a slower, quieter drive than Chapman’s Peak, and almost no tour operator includes it.
The village at the bottom is worth at least an hour of your time. Kalk Bay has a working fishing harbour, a string of antique shops and independent galleries, and some genuinely excellent lunch spots. It’s one of those places that Capetonians consider their own – which is exactly the recommendation.
Constantia Nek to Noordhoek Farm Village – the drive Cape Town families take on weekends
This route connects the forested slopes of Constantia with the wide open valley of Noordhoek, passing through some of the most beautiful agricultural land in the Western Cape. The drive itself takes about 25 minutes, but nobody does it in 25 minutes because the stops are the point.
Noordhoek Farm Village is a relaxed collection of small shops, bakeries, and restaurants built around a working farm. On a weekend morning, it’s where Cape Town families come for coffee and pastries before heading to the beach. It has none of the polish of the Winelands tourist circuit which is precisely what makes it feel genuine.
Continue further and you reach the 9km stretch of Noordhoek Beach, which on a weekday can feel completely empty. Horses are sometimes ridden along the waterline. It’s the opposite of a tourist experience, in the best possible way.
This route pairs naturally with our Historic City, Street Art and Wine Tour for guests who want to combine countryside scenery with wine tasting.
Local food spots off the tourist map
The Foodbarn – Noordhoek’s best-kept culinary secret
Hidden inside Noordhoek Farm Village, The Foodbarn Restaurant has been one of Cape Town’s most respected restaurants for years, and most tourists have never heard of it. Chef Franck Dangereux trained in France and has been cooking in this valley for decades. The food is honest, seasonal, and exceptional.
The setting helps: a converted barn, relaxed atmosphere, no pretension. Locals drive from across the city for Sunday lunch here. If you’re doing the Constantia Nek to Noordhoek drive, build your timing around a meal here. It’s the kind of lunch that makes an afternoon feel like a gift.
Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia – sunset tapas above the vineyards
Beau Constantia is a small, steep wine estate on the slopes of Constantia that most visitors never find because it doesn’t advertise heavily. Chefs Warehouse, one of Cape Town’s most celebrated restaurant groups. It has an outpost here with an open terrace overlooking the vineyards and the city beyond.
The format is shared tapas paired with Beau Constantia wines. Book the last seating on a clear evening and you’ll watch the sun drop behind the mountains with a glass of something exceptional in your hand. It’s one of those meals that guests mention for years afterwards.
We can incorporate a stop here on our Historic City, Street Art and Wine Tour – just let us know when you enquire.
Secret nature and viewpoints
Arderne Gardens – the giant tree sanctuary in Claremont
Most visitors to Cape Town never venture into the southern suburbs. Which means they never discover Arderne Gardens in Claremont. This is one of the oldest public gardens in South Africa, home to an extraordinary collection of mature exotic trees including enormous Moreton Bay figs whose canopies shade half an acre of lawn.
It’s completely free to enter. It’s almost always quiet. In spring the undergrowth flowers, and the scale of the trees – some well over a century old, gives the garden a cathedral quality. Capetonians come here to read, to think, and to remember that the city has a gentleness beneath the drama.
Kloof Corner – Table Mountain views without the cable car queue
If you want to see Table Mountain, Camps Bay, Lion’s Head, and the Atlantic Ocean in one view without paying for a cable car ticket or queuing for an hour, Kloof Corner is your answer. It’s a short but steep hike – about 20 to 30 minutes, starting from the top of Kloof Road in Gardens.
Locals hike it at sunset. The light on the Camps Bay coastline from that height is genuinely one of the finest views in Cape Town, and almost no tourist knows it exists. Go on a clear evening, take water, and don’t rush down in the dark. Bring a torch or be off the path before the light goes.
Local tip: The path starts at the end of Tafelberg Road. It’s short but steep. Wear proper shoes, not sandals.
Hidden gems near the Winelands
Boschendal – where Capetonians spend entire weekends
The Winelands tourist circuit tends to focus on Stellenbosch wine tastings and Franschhoek restaurants. Both are excellent. But the place I’d send a friend for a perfect unhurried day is Boschendal. A historic estate in the Drakenstein Valley between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch that most international visitors overlook.
The farm has been producing wine since 1685. The manor house is one of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture in the region. But what makes Boschendal special on a summer day is the picnic: a hamper of local produce, a bottle of their estate wine, a blanket under the oak trees, and nowhere to be. Cape Town families treat it as a ritual. It’s deeply, unhurriedly civilised.
There’s also a farm shop, a deli, and walking routes through the vineyards. It’s not a quick stop. Plan at least a half day, ideally a full one.
Boschendal features on our Full Day Cape Winelands Tour, and we can tailor the itinerary to include the picnic experience if you book in advance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best hidden beach in Cape Town?
Oudekraal is our top pick for families – calm, sheltered, and rarely crowded even in summer. For something more dramatic and intimate, Beta Beach just around the corner from Camps Bay offers extraordinary sunset views over the Twelve Apostles with a fraction of the crowd.
Is Oudekraal good for swimming?
Yes. The granite boulders create natural tidal pools that are calm and sheltered, making Oudekraal one of the safest swimming spots on the Atlantic Seaboard for families and children. The water is cold (this is the Atlantic), but on a warm summer day it’s perfect.
Is Kalk Bay worth visiting?
Absolutely. It’s one of the most characterful seaside villages in South Africa. A working fishing harbour, excellent restaurants, antique shops, art galleries, and the Boyes Drive viewpoint above it. We consider it essential on any Cape Peninsula private tour.
Can I visit these spots on a private tour from Cape Town?
Many of them, yes. At Itchy Feet Tours & Safaris, we build private Cape Town tours around what our guests actually want to see, not a fixed group itinerary. If you want Oudekraal, Boyes Drive, Kalk Bay for lunch, and Kloof Corner at sunset. We can design a day around exactly that. Just tell us what appeals when you get in touch.
How is a private tour different from visiting these places independently?
You can find most of these spots on your own. But timing, context, and local knowledge make an enormous difference. Knowing when Oudekraal is quiet, which pullout on Boyes Drive has the best angle, where to sit at Boschendal, and how to time Kloof Corner for sunset. That’s 20 years of experience. A private Cape Town tour with Itchy Feet means you get all of that, plus door-to-door pickup from your hotel.
Cape Town rewards curiosity — but only if you know where to look. At Itchy Feet Tours & Safaris, every private tour is built around the places we’d take our own families: unhurried, genuinely local, and designed to show you the city at its best. Contact us to start planning your private Cape Town experience: Contact Page
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