Camps Bay Tidal Pool / Camps Bay

For those of you who maybe don’t know what a tidal pool is, let’s start with a short “scientific” description. A tide pool (or you can also call it a rock pool) is an isolated pocket of seawater found in the ocean’s intertidal zone. Every day, the gravitational pulls of the sun and moon cause changes in sea level. So the water levels are either rising or falling. On a rock-covered shore, when the water level drains out to sea, pools of seawater get trapped in between the rocks and build those beautiful natural (or man-made) tidal pools.

You can find them all over the coastline of the Atlantic Seaboard, but the Camps Bay Tidal Pool is probably one of the most popular ones because of its convenient and prominent location at Camps Bay Beach.

In the mornings or just before sunset, you can observe quite a few swimmers who take a first or last dip in the cold salty water of the day, either to get it started or to cool off from a run or other sportive activity.

On hot and sunny weekends, you’ll find many families and sunbathers filling the sandy beach and having a great time at the tidal pool. Since they are protected from the rough ocean movement and waves, they are a safe and family-friendly place to swim. There are also public toilets not far away and right at the top of the beach, you will also find a neat playground for the kids in case they crave a little extra activity during your time at the beach. Read all about Camps Bay Beach Playground on our website.

The Camps Bay Tidal Pool also has a little rocky “run-way” which goes all around the 7 880 square metres of the facility and our kids love to walk along the shores and watch the waves breaking at the rocks. You have to be very careful though! The rocks are slippery and on a windy day, it’s not a good idea to walk around there as it is too dangerous with the little ones (and for yourself).

The sun dips the horizon right in front of the tidal pool which means you can enjoy spectacular sunsets along amazing mountain views of Lion’s Head and the 12 Apostles. When you’re done with your day at the beach, you can pack your things together and step right into the buzzing vibes of Camps Bay to grab a drink or something to eat. Our favourite family-friendly restaurant in Camps Bay is Col’Caccio. It offers the most delicious food, an extensive kiddies menu plus entertainment and fabulous ocean views.

Our Experience

We love to go there during the week to watch the sunset at the horizon and dip in our feet in the slightly warmer tidal pooll water. The kids can take their sand toys and play at the white, sandy beach or hop in and out of the water. Their favourite thing to do though is the walk-around at the tidal pool. We have to take them a couple of rounds along the slippery shore as they are fascinated by the high waves, splashing water and “adventure”.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️