Noordhoek Beach

Noordhoek, also called Long Beach, runs about eight kilometres south from the foot of Chapman's Peak to Kommetjie, and its scale is what people remember - even on a busy weekend the beach absorbs everyone and stays essentially empty. Horses from the local stables are ridden along the tideline, which is the image most associated with it. The wreck of the Kakapo, a steamer that ran aground in 1900 when her captain mistook Chapman's Peak for Cape Point in fog, still lies in the sand about halfway along; how much of the boiler and frames is visible depends on how the sand has moved that season. The water is Atlantic and cold, the surf is heavy and there is a rip along much of the beach, so this is a walking and riding beach rather than a swimming one. Chapman's Peak Drive above it is the other reason to come to this corner.

What you actually see

• The eight kilometres - a beach long enough to stay empty on a busy day.
• The Kakapo wreck - a 1900 steamer in the sand, more or less exposed by season.
• The horses - riders along the tideline from the local stables.
• Chapman's Peak - the mountain road cut into the cliff at the north end.

When to go

October to April. Two to three hours for the walk to the wreck and back. Wind is strongest in midsummer afternoons.

Honest expectations

The water is cold and there are strong rips - it is not a swimming beach and there are no lifeguards along most of it. There is no shade and no facilities beyond the car park end. Muggings have been reported on the empty middle stretch, so walk in company. The wreck is sometimes buried entirely.

Nearby

Chapman's Peak Drive climbs from the north end; Kommetjie is at the south.