Chapman's Peak Drive - Hout Bay
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Hout Bay
Hout Bay (pronounced HOW t, not HOO t!) is named after the ample forests that used to grow here which the Dutch colonizers used to build the fort and other buildings in Table Bay. Most of the forest is long gone but the town that has replaced it is a very pretty place. It’s one of the largest fishing communities in South Africa and is also a very horsey place. It also hosts (when the waves are big enough) the Big Wave Africa surfing contest when ridiculous waves (30m in some cases) come through and are ridden by some the most experienced surfers in the world.
In some ways, Hout Bay is a microcosm of South Africa, affected as it is by highly contested land rights issues, extreme poverty in its township, massive wealth in its large ex pat community and in between, normal people making a living from nature (the sea, in this case) and tourism.
Things we recommend in Hout Bay are Spiro’s restaurant (a proper little Greek place, all white washed tables and souvlaki) and taking a walk on the beach or round the harbour. You really need to do yourself a favour and go to Fish on the Rocks (or Snoekies) which does the most amazing, freshest fish and chips in the world. And you can even have lobster and chips! Beat that.