Tidal Pools

Cape Town’s tidal pools are one of the quieter pleasures of the peninsula. Built into the rocks along both coastlines, they fill and refresh with the tide, which makes them calmer and more sheltered than the water breaking beside them. Some are large enough to swim proper lengths in; others are little more than a rock basin with a remarkable view.

They run along both sides of the peninsula, and the side matters. The False Bay pools are warmer and suit long unhurried swims, while the Atlantic pools are colder, more dramatic and often quieter. Start with the pools below, then browse the rest of the collection.