About Cosy Bay Beach
Cosy Bay Beach sometimes also known as Sandy Cove is an absolute gem of a beach located on the Atlantic Peninsula coastline on Victoria Road, between Bakoven and Llandudno. It is one of a few smaller beaches or coves within the Oudekraal Nature Reserve, which is also a part of the Table Mountain National Park.
In my opinion, Cosy Bay Beach (Sandy Cove) is possibly one of Cape Town’s best and lesser known beaches. Don’t get me wrong, the locals know of this beach and it does get pretty busy on weekends and during holiday season, but it’s nowhere near as busy as Bakoven Beach, Camps Bay Beach, Clifton or Llandudno Beach.
Cosy Bay Beach is pretty simple to find, but you do need to keep your eyes open as the sign is easily missed and you can’t physically see the beach from the road. The best way to identify it, is the 2x parking areas, one located on either side of Victoria Road found approximately 2.5Km-3Km South of Bakoven and roughly 300-meters before the 5-star rated ‘12 Apostles Hotel‘. If traveling south from Bakoven towards Llandudno and you pass the ‘12 Apostles Hotel‘, you’ve missed it.
From the parking area there are some slightly treacherous wooden stairs leading down to the beach. It’s pretty easy going but watch your step. There are nowhere near as many stairs as you would find at Clifton and its a relatively quick and easy descent. As you come off the stairs, you are faced with paradise, in my opinion. The beach is small and sandy within a rocky cove with water that sparkles. The sand is a little rougher than you would expect as it’s a mix of sand, small stones and broken shells, but still not too harsh on your bare feet.
When the weather is great, the swimming here is amazing. It’s like swimming in a very large rock-pool. Cosy Bay’s little cove is surrounded by large boulders pretty much all the way around, which in turn protects the swimming area from the harshness of the open water. Obviously one should never take the ocean for granted and you should always be aware of currents and rip-tides especially as the tides come in/out.
Needless to say, this is still the Atlantic Ocean and water temperatures are low; some call it refreshing but for most, it’s simply cold. Personally, I’m used to swimming in the Atlantic and I do find the water here a tad warmer, than say at Camps Bay Beach which I think is due to the enclosure of the cove limiting water movement.
Cosy Bay beach also seems to attract a lot of Snorkellers; there are often people kitted out in wet-suites with Goggles and Snorkels swimming in and out of the cove, exploring the underwater coastline.
Beach Features
- Small Sandy Beach
- Free Parking
- Tree Shade (mornings)
Beach Activities
- Safe Swimming
- Sun Tanning
- Snorkeling
Additional Information
As previously mentioned, Cosy Bay Beach (Sandy Cove) is located within the Oudekraal Nature Reserve and it is regarded as a “NO TAKE ZONE”. Fishing, removing and collecting of marine life are strictly prohibited and large fines and even jail time can be issued upon offenders. It’s also important to note that this also applies to the removal of Sand, Rocks and Shells.
The official City of Cape Town website makes mention of their being ablution facilities on this beach, but I’ve personally never seen them. Also, other than a Mobile Coffee Shop that’s located in the parking area (it’s not always there), there are no other facilities, so bring your own snacks and drinks.
Source: https://www.capetown.gov.za/
