St James, Cape Town

   

The little Seaside Village of St James, lies just past Muizenberg on route to Kalk Bay. Set against the Mountain with incredible Sea Views and one of the prettiest little Beaches, St James beach with the colourful Beach Huts - also has a large Tidal Pool. It is very popular with Locals, and in Summer Holidays is packed with a variety of People and their Children. This is largely because the beach is so well sheltered from the notorious winds of Cape Town, but also because it offers safe swimming and is conveniently close to the Simons Town Train Line. 

The Residential Suburb, very close to Rhodes’ cottage, is much sought after and many of the homes date back to the time when the Cape was a colony of the Victorian empire. St James is named after the St James, the Roman Catholic Church, Built in 1858 for the Filipino Fishermen of Kalk Bay, just up the road. Danger beach, the other little Beach of St James, was used in the whaling industry during the early 1800s, as a place to haul carcasses. Kalk Bay is within walking distance and offers a further delightful ambling opportunity, through cobbled Streets and a Main road lined with an Eclectic mix of Antique and Bookshops, Restaurants, Coffee Bistros and Clothing Boutiques.

Boyes Drive, which runs along the Mountain above St James, offers further magnificent Views over False Bay and is a wonderful spot from which to spot Whales, in season. 

St James Beach and Tidal Pool, is the subject of postcard perfect holidays. The epitome of shore side charm with a chorus line of brightly coloured wooden Beach Huts featuring primary coloured roofs and doors deliberately mismatched to their frame. Crustaceans frolic side by side in the Natural Rock Pools, which Kids scurry to discover with delight. In the Centre of the Natural Rock Pools, is a large Man-Made Tidal Pool. The Tidal Pool is warmer than the False Bay Ocean and has calm waters for floating adrift unaffected by Currents. This salty Ocean Pool is fantastic for Kids to splash around in, without waves crashing around them. There is a cute Beach Stretch, with washing waves and shells for those wanting a Beach experience without the Surfers. This sandy gem, is sheltered from the Westerly Winds, so bring your Beach Toys and make a Day of it. No refreshments or amenities are available on the actual beach, so come well stocked with refreshments and supplies. A collection of Bars, Cafés and Restaurants are in the vicinity for lazy Summer Lunches and Sundowners. The Beach is not very big so it can get rather crowded during the Summer. During high tide, the big waves break against the Tidal Pool Wall, so it’s not advisable to get too close to the Wall, when this happens.

Across the Road from the Railway Station is the old Hotel, now it has been converted into a Retirement Hotel and the Hotel has new premises, a few Streets away.