Kalk Bay is known for its raw beauty, interesting shops, huge selection of restaurants and stunning views. You could easily spend a full day in this little neighborhood and still not be able to experience it all! Best of all Kalk Bay harbor is situated only about 30km from Cape Town and, as we realized on a recent trip, well worth a visit.

Fishing Boat with the sleepy village of Kalk Bay in the Background.

It’s hard to believe that this retro little village is actually part of Cape Town. Things progress at a much slower pace here – fascinating people wander along the wharf and browse the offbeat shops, chilled folks sip on their awesomeCape Wines and cold beers while surfers ride the waves. And, if your timing is right you can catch the Southern Right Whales’s leisurely passage close to the shoreline. In Kalk Bay, you always feel like you are on holiday!

Colorful Fishing Boats at Anchor in Kalk Bay Harbor.

Being one of the last operating harbors in the Cape, it is always buzzing with local fisherman peddling fresh Fish like “Hottentot,” “Kabeljou” and “Red Roman.” The colorful Fishing vessels coming and going lends Kalk Bay Harbor a picturesque beauty that is not found in many places on earth.

If fish is not your thing, you can browse the interesting little shops dotted all over Kalk Bay that offers a variety of offbeat articles like antiques, crafts and much more. If you are a lover of the more quirky things in life, you can literally spend a whole day browsing the Kalk Bay shops.

A long fishing history and cosmopolitan heritage makes Kalk Bay one of the trendiest seaside villages with a fast developing art scene, growing nightlife and some of the most contemporary restaurants around. Some of the more well-known restaurants are:

• Harbour House
• Olympia Cafe and Deli
•  Lekker Kalk Bay
• Satori
• Kalky’s
• Lucky Fish & Chips
• Brass Bell

A visit to any of these will leave you in a dreamy state of “Chill.” To fully enjoy a visit to Kalk Bay you have to let go of your normal “Ratrace” attitude and settle into the sleepy state of relaxation and “chilled-ness” that goes with this kind of places. DO that and you will come away from Kalk Bay with a sense of wonder and appreciation.

Kalk Bay offers some Awesome outdoor activities like Angling, Deep Sea Fishing and Surfing.

If you like a bit of adventure, though, Kalk Bay has some of that to offer as well. Anything from Deep Sea Fishing, Surfing, Angling, and the fascinating Boomslang Cave to explore.

All in all, Kalk Bay is well worth a visit!

Features photos by Alan Rudnicki from Alan Rudnicky Photography

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