Want to whip off all your clothes and hangout (I love the pun) naked in front of strangers? Sandy Bay beach is the only beach in South Africa where it is (unofficially) considered acceptable to tan and bathe completely naked (water is freezing so bathing is not that popular). Situated just south of Llandudno (in Cape Town) it is known for its beautiful white sandy beach, naked sunbathing and surf (when sea swells are large there is a great beach break). Gigantic granite slabs form the southern and northern edges of the beach.
Sandy Bay is at the base of "Kleinleeukoppie" (little lions head), with the jagged peaks of the Twelve Apostles mountain range as a backdrop (Judas Peak is the closest of the "apostles"). In the photo below we can see both "Kleinleeukoppie" as well as just the peak of lions head (leeukoppie) peering out on the left.
On the 5th March 2017 a (naked!) humpback whale got itself stranded on the beach, and the beach was closed - authorities decided to euthanise/kill the whale (no mention was made of the method used).
Sandy Bay is one of Cape Town's most inacessible beaches. There are two ways of getting to Sandy Bay:
It does get windy sometimes, although being enclosed by the mountain backdrop and sand dunes, Sandy Bay has some protection against the wind.
Sandy Bay is a popular cruising spot. Most of the cruising takes place at the far side of the beach, and the bush alongside the beach is best avoided if you don't want to accidentally intrude on their action.
There are no shops and no public toilets.
There is some crime in the area, so it's a good idea to go at peak times and in groups.
A negative of Sandy Bay are the perverts who go to sit up in the vegetation with one hand holding a pair of binoculars and the other used for masturbating. The more brazen come closer and stare. Others keep the cameras and camera phones handy!
In October 2005, a man was arrested after being found raping a 13-year-old girl on a remote part of Sandy Bay beach. The suspect had allegedly abducted the 13-year-old from her home town of Atlantis.
On the 9th July 2005 a 27-year-old German tourist was hiking alone on a footpath near the beach, was confronted by a naked man and raped. The petite blonde woman, from Hamburg, was walking in the direction of Hout Bay at about noon on when the man appeared behind her, naked. "He told me he could kill me right there or rape me." He forced her to undress and raped her, after which he removed all her jewellery. The 27-year-old said her attacker had approached her earlier on the walking trail and asked if he could walk with her. "I said no and he disappeared but he must have been following me." She was later examined and put on anti-retrovirals. The tourist and her boyfriend had been in South Africa for only a week
A couple, James Girod (42, from Oregon) and Birgit Stoll (33, from Berlin), were assaulted by 3 men at Sandy Bay. Three men confronted then and shouted: "Why are you here, you faggot?" to Girod. Girod was left with chipped front teeth and a black eye.
There are no other nudist beaches in Cape Town; but topless sunbathing is common at Camps Bay and Clifton:
We welcome input to help us improve our coverage of Sandy Bay Beach