Photo Credit: Action Edit
Cape Town has so much to offer and even if I wouldn’t say the kitesurfing conditions aren’t the best for me personally (and I know I’ll here a lot of kiters contradict since it’s one of the world’s most famous spots with its strong wind and waves) the whole lifestyle, people, vibe and possibilities of the city make it a perfect spot, especially if you’re with some non-kiting crowd or want to stay longer and still have all the comforts of the city.
Side Note: the spot guide is centred around the Table View/Blouberg area since it’s the most popular area for kitesurfing as well as the surrounding kite spots in driving distance.
Contents
- Pros & Cons for kitesurfing in Cape Town, South Africa
- General Infos (Wind, Water Temperature and Water Condition) for Cape Town, South Africa
- How to get to Cape Town, South Africa
- How to get around in Cape Town, South Africa
- Spot details for Table View area in Cape Town, South Africa
- Spot details for surrounding spots around Cape Town, South Africa
- A typical windy day in Cape Town, South Africa
- The atmosphere at the spot in Cape Town, South Africa
- Where to stay in Cape Town, South Africa
- Where to eat in the Blouberg Area, Cape Town
- No-Wind-Activities
- Annual Kitesurf Events in Cape Town, South Africa.
- Digital Nomad factor in Cape Town
Pros & Cons for kitesurfing in Cape Town, South Africa
Pros – kitesurfing in Cape Town
Cons – kitesurfing in Cape Town

General Infos (Wind, Water Temperature and Water Condition) for Cape Town, South Africa
Best Wind: December – End of February
Water Temperature: Long Wetsuit (4/3)
Water Condition: choppy, waves
Beginner friendly? No!
How to get to Cape Town, South Africa
The international airport of Cape Town can be reached with many direct flights from around the world (airport code: CPT).
You can either get your own rental car or take an taxi or Uber from the airport – they have a certain area where the Uber drivers stop. Depending on the traffic it will take you around 45min to 1 hour to get to Blouberg where most kitesurfers stay.
How to get around in Cape Town, South Africa
Option 1: Get your own rental car
Longer term car rental
Does it make sense to rent a car?
Option 2: Uber and bus
Spot details for Table View area in Cape Town, South Africa
The order of the spots is from upwind to downwind (or from South to North): Sunset Beach, Dolphin Beach, Kite Beach, Doodles, Big Bay, Haakgat, Melkbos.
If you get confused with all the spot options, simply go kite at Dolphin Beach or Kite Beach and you’ll figure the rest out once your’e there 😉
Sunset Beach
The wind usually starts here the earliest but it’s quite gusty. Waves can be super nice, the spot is popular with windsurfers as well.
Dolphin Beach
Kite Beach
Doodles
In front of the Doodles Restaurant 😉 It’s the end point for some people who are doing a downwinder from Sunset and don’t want to continue around the rocks to Big Bay.
Big Bay
Nice infrastructure with the promenade for non kitesurfing partners. Nice waves! It can be a bit gusty. In or downwind of Big Bay you can score nice waves. Windsurfers and surfers are usually at the left part of the bay.
Haakgat
Ideal for wave kiters, popular for windsurfers, usually an end point if you’re doing a downwinder.
Melkbos
Downwind options
Downwinders are very popular for wave riders and those who boost high. Depending on how long you want your downwinder to be you can either do a short one from Sunset Beach to e.g. Doodles or a longer one from e.g. Kite Beach to Haagkat or Melkbos. Generally speaking the best waves are usually downwind of Big Bay if you’re a wave lover.
Spot details for surrounding spots around Cape Town, South Africa
Langebaan Lagoon/Main Beach and Shark Bay
1 hour drive from Blouberg
There are a lot of kitesurf beginners in here, some days I’d say like 95% which don’t really know what they’re doing so it gets pretty crowded.
Shark Bay is great if the wind is a bit stronger (since the wind is usually a bit weaker in Shark Bay compared to Langebaan Main Beach) I walked up all the way upwind at the beach, launched from there and quickly went upwind so I easily avoided all the beginners. Don’t go at low tide since the lagoon will be tiny 😉
Muizenberg
45min – 1 hour drive from Blouberg (depending on traffic)
Quite popular for surfers with warmer water but also works fine for kitesurfers. The wind is onshore and the waves can be quite nice. Watch out for the shark flags 😉
Strand
1.5 hour drive from Blouberg
The wind is not as strong as in Blouberg so bring your bigger kites (9 to 12m). Nice for freestyling. Works best with South wind but also when the wind blows more North West or West.
Witsands/Misty Cliffs/Scarborough

Hermanus (Grotto Beach and Kleinriver Lagoon)
Nice flatwater lagoon (check the tides!) speparated by a sand strip with the waves on the ocean.It has a nice atmosphere, there are toilets at the spot and nice restaurants in Hermanus town.
West wind in Hermanus: West is Best in Hermanus, very clean wind – and it gets super crowded on the lagoon since everyone comes from Cape Town to Hermanus, especially all the pros. The wind on the lagoon is offshore so it’s only suited for kitesurfers who can ride safely upwind.
South Wind in Hermanus: Even if the forecast is around 20 knots the wind usually doesn’t push through until like 5 pm so it makes only sense if you stay in Hermanus over night.
South-East Wind/East-South-East in Hermanus: Cross-onshore on the lagoon (so a bit gustier since the wind is coming over land but still solid wind), ideal for beginners, cross-offshore on the ocean so excellent for experienced wave riders.
The lagoon is breaching every few years so then it opens to the ocean it becomes a tidal lagoon and the conditions change. By the end of the season the lagoon is empty and then usually fills up again at the start of the season.
It’s actually a super cute village and I could easily imagine staying there a few nights. For more infos get in touch with Kite School Hermanus (they actually gave me all these detailed infos so thank you, Scott!).

Witsand (Breede River)
A typical windy day in Cape Town, South Africa
During my stay from Jan until March 2018 the wind had pretty different wind patterns. Usually when it was up in the morning it would be lighter and get stronger throughout the day. There were also some days where it would be up around lunch time and then drop again in the late afternoon which I heard is not that typical (usually it’s the other way round, it gets stronger and stronger).
If you have a car and check the surrounding spots you will usually get a lot more wind than if you stay in Blouberg. It’s usually a few days windy and then a few days off – or windy with a different direction so other spots around the area work.
The atmosphere at the spot in Cape Town, South Africa
Where to stay in Cape Town, South Africa
You can check airbnb (negotiate for longer term stays), gumtree (search options are short term, apartment or room rental among others) or via a real estate agent which makes sense if you stay longer and/or share an apartment with other people.
One of the most social places to stay – run by a very passionate and sweet kiteboarder named Rosie – is Rosie’s Kite House. I also enjoyed staying in Tabu House which has a very nice living area and other kitesurfers around. Another very social place where it’s easy to meet other kitesurfers is Mystic House.
Where to eat in the Blouberg Area, Cape Town
In the Table View/Blouberg area
- All in the Kitchen: A bit further back so not directly at the beach but they are my favorite place! They have homemade fresh dishes changing every day at decent prices, I think I ate there most of the days, so yummy! Nice breakfasts and regular dishes as well (try the Roast Veg salad with avocado and feta or their low carb quiches). They also have green juices and low carb options. If you come after 1.30 pm they might already have run out of the daily specials so if you want one of those it makes sense to make a reservation via whatsapp or come early. And leave some space for their insanely yummy cakes!
- yo goodness: for the healthy foodies with lots low carb, gluten-free options and vegan options. They also have cold-pressed juices and yummy breakfasts as well as vegan burgers.
- Morgan’s: tiny cafe, yummy breakfast, usually always crowded and good vibes
- Homespun: Fine dining for all the foodies! Definitely a must-do when you’re there, make sure to make a reservation. If you’re vegan or have any food requirements contact them before and they’ll prepare a special dish for you. Small disclaimer: if you’re a very hungry kitesurfer and love big portions you should have some food before or order two mains 😉 My favorites: Cape Malay Baby Squid for starter, all the mains are exceptional and the Chocolate Torte for dessert.
- Primi: a chain for Italian food, they serve gluten-free options for pizza and pasta, it has the best view for sunset watching the kitesurfers
- Simply Asia: chain with Asian food (gluten-free and vegetarian options available)
- Angus and Cattle Baron are for the meat lovers!
- Kauai: healthy food chain with smoothies, juices and bowls e.g. in the Bayside Mall or Big Bay
In the Big Bay area
- Cape Town Fish Market: Seafood and Japanese style Sushi and bowls
- Orient: no fancy restaurant but very reasonably priced sushi.
- they also have a Kauai, Primi and Mojo (African food) on the main promenade in Big Bay
No-Wind-Activities
Or go for a wine tasting at one of the wine farms, visit the penguins at Boulders Beach, go for a trip out to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned), visit the Cape of Good Hope, enjoy some good food in the countless restaurants or party your heart out.
Annual Kitesurf Events in Cape Town, South Africa.
Digital Nomad factor in Cape Town
Cape Town combines kitesurfing with the infrastructure you need to work online like no other spot in my opinion. You have the city close by, Blouberg itself has a good infrastructure, you can easily uber anywhere, if you ask before you find airbnbs with uncapped internet and mobile internet can be super cheap. If the wind blows it usually blows until sunset so you can easily finish your work and go for an afternoon or evening kite session.
Mobile Internet
You’ll have good coverage in Cape Town itself but you’ll drop to Edge on the countryside sometimes. Currently Vodacom and MTN have the best coverage but Cell C has the best deals.