Atlantic Seaboard Property Sales & Info

Atlantic Seaboard at a glance

SEA POINT

Sea Point is one of Cape Town’s most affluent and densely populated suburbs, situated on a narrow stretch of land between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, a few kilometres to the west of Cape Town's Central Business District (CBD). Multilevel houses built in close proximity to one another occupy the high reaches of the mountainside, while apartment buildings are more common in the central area and toward the beach-front. 

An important communal space is the beach-front promenade, a paved walkway along the ocean’s edge, used by residents and tourists for walking, jogging and socialising. Sea Point beach adjoins an Olympic-sized seawater swimming pool, which has served generations of Capetonians since the early 1950s. The rocks off the beaches at Sea Point are in large part basaltic, and internationally famous in the history of geology. There are extensive beds of kelp offshore. Compared to the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, the water is colder (11 °C - 16 °C).

Schools in the area include Sea Point Primary School and Sea Point High School (formerly Sea Point Boys' High School) founded in 1884, and Herzlia Weizmann Primary. The French School of Cape Town opened on 14 October 2014 after a multimillion Rand upgrade of the old Tafelberg Remedial School.  

BANTRY BAY

Bantry Bay is an affluent residential suburb of Cape Town situated on the north western slopes of Lion's Head, overlooking the rocky coastline of the Atlantic Sea Board. Its neighboring suburbs are Sea Point, Fresnaye and Clifton. 

It was originally called Botany Bay after a botanical garden that was planted there for the cultivation of medicinal herbs. The name was changed during World War I. There is a plaque on the seashore that commemorates a visit by Charles Darwin, who made important geological observations in the area relating to the nature and origin of granite. 

Bantry Bay is known to be one of the most wind-free areas in Cape Town. Secluded & protected, the inhabitants of this exclusive area enjoy about 290 wind free days per year - a significant fact given Cape Town's windy climate.

CLIFTON

Clifton is an affluent, exclusively residential suburb of Cape Town, along the Atlantic Sea Board. The area is home to some of the most expensive real estate in South Africa, with residences nestled on cliffs that have sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. Clifton was originally called Skoenmakers Gat (Cobbler's Cave) after a ship deserter who lived in a cave above second beach. Clifton is neighbored by the suburbs of Camps Bay and Bantry Bay.

Clifton was rated as one of the Top Ten Beaches by the cable and satellite television network Discovery Travel Channel in 2003 and 2004 and has received Blue Flag status. 

The area has a set of 4 beaches which are frequently used destinations for both locals and tourists. The beaches, which are named from 1st to 4th, are separated by falls of granite boulders and have almost pure white granitic sand. The four beaches of Clifton are one of the few areas well protected from the notorious south-easterly wind, which has a great deal to do with its popularity with bathers. A fifth beach, before First Beach, called Moses Beach (so-called because of the papyrus plants that grow along it), appears and disappears as the sand is washed in and out with the seasons. The water, although chilly (12–16 °C), plays host to many watersports, mostly surfing - both board and body.

CAMPS BAY

Camps Bay is an affluent residential suburb of Cape Town, located on the western, ocean-facing slopes of the Table Mountain National Park. In summer it attracts huge crowds of foreign visitors as well as locals because of its sandy beaches, glorious sunsets, and entertainment strip. The suburb has more than 2,000 freehold residences, and over 1,200 sectional title properties.  

First inhabited by the San (Hunter Gatherers) and the Goringqhaique (Khoi pastorates), Camps Bay was largely undeveloped until the early part of the 20th century. Lord Charles Somerset used the area for hunting and used the Roundhouse as his lodge. Kloof Road was built in 1848 and in 1884 Thomas Bain was commissioned to build a road from Sea Point to Camps Bay using convict labour. The road was completed in 1887 and named Victoria Road to honour Queen Victoria’s jubilee in 1888. The road allowed people to cycle out to Camps Bay which had gained popularity as a picnic site. This led to the development, in 1901, of the Camps Bay tramway to bring people out for the day and with it the development of the tidal pools, the Rotunda (now the Bay Hotel) and a pavilion for concerts and shows. In 1913 Camps Bay was incorporated into Cape Town although it was still seen as a recreational area rather than a residential area. 

Camps Bay has since been extensively developed and now hosts some of the most prestigious properties in the Cape. A wide variety of restaurants, side walk cafes and bars line Victoria Road opposite Camps Bay Beach, which is affectionately referred to as "the Camps Bay strip".

Camps Bay Beach, a Blue Flag Beach since 2008, is the largest white sand beach in Camps Bay. There is a seasonal life guard station with ablution facilities at the west end of the beach. Glen Beach, at the far right of Camps Bay beach, is known as Camps Bay's best surfing beach. Short, fast rides and a small take-off area makes Glen Beach one of the hardest of Cape Town's beach breaks to surf and has resulted in a strong local atmosphere.

GREEN POINT

Green Point is a mixed use suburb at the juncture of the Atlantic Sea Board and Cape Town CBD, located to the north west of the city centre. It is a popular residential area for young professionals, creatives, and holiday makers. The Main Road is lined with espresso bars, restaurants, burger joints, clubs, pubs, and retail outlets. 

The Cape Town Stadium was constructed in Green Point (on the Common) for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Numerous infrastructural developments were made at the same time, with the upgrade to Helen Suzman Boulevard and the new Granger Bay Boulevard being constructed, along with a massive investment in creating a public urban park around the stadium. The park houses numerous picnic spots, play areas, walkways, a golf course, amphitheatre, and indigenous gardens. Green Point Lighthouse, which was first lit on 12 April 1824, is located right next door. It was the first solid lighthouse structure on the South African coast, and is the oldest operational lighthouse in South Africa. 

MOUILLE POINT

Mouille Point is an affluent residential suburb of Cape Town, situated between the V & A Waterfront and Granger Bay to the east, Green Point to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west. The suburb hugs the coastline and is dominated by high-rise apartment blocks.

Mouille Point is a relatively small suburb of only 1,500 odd apartments and less than 100 freehold properties. Beach Road runs straight through the suburb, with the Mouille Point promenade (used daily by thousands of Capetonians) on the ocean side, and apartments on the mountain side. The new Green Point Urban Park & Biodiversity Garden is just behind Mouille Point.

The name "Mouille" comes from the French word for an anchoring ground. In the early 18th century ships were often swept ashore in Table Bay and the then governor decided that a breakwater (mouille in French) was needed to protect vessels at anchor. Work began in 1743. All farmers who delivered their goods to the city were required to load up their wagons with stones, drive out to Mouille Point and offload. Slaves and convicts were used to build the breakwater but after three years of labour and high seas, just 100m had been built and the project was abandoned. In 1781 the French arrived and built a battery near the unfinished mouille, naming it Mouille Point Battery.

WATERFRONT

The Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront in Cape Town is situated on the Atlantic shore, Table Bay Harbour, the City of Cape Town and Table Mountain. Positioned within South Africa’s oldest working harbour, the 123 hectare (1.23 km2) area has been developed for mixed-use, with both high-end residential and commercial real estate.

Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, visited the Cape Colony harbour in 1860 as a sixteen year-old Royal Navy Midshipman on HMS Euryalus. He made a big splash with the colonials on this first-ever visit by a member of the Royal Family. The first basin of the new Navy Yard was named after him and the second after his mother.

The Waterfront Shopping Precinct attracts more than 23 million visitors a year to its approximate 450 retail outlets (fashion, homeware, and curios). Numerous restaurants, pubs, and food stalls line the harbour’s pedestrian spaces. The world-famous Two Oceans Aquarium is also located in the Waterfront, where marine diversity is showcased from both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.