Tag Archives: Grotto Beach

Life’s a (blue flag) beach!

The Department of Tourism has awarded 29 South African beaches blue flag status, up from 19 beaches last year, reports Southern African Tourism Update. 

Six of the beaches are in Cape Town (Camps Bay, Big Bay in Blouberg, Muizenberg, Clifton 5th beach, Mnandi beach, and Strandfontein) and sixteen beaches are in other areas of the Western Cape, meaning that more than half of the blue flag beaches are in the Western Cape.

Blue flag beaches in the rest of the Western Cape are MacDougall’s Bay in Port Nolloth, Bikini beach in Gordon’s Bay, Hawston and Grotto beaches in Hermanus, Yzerfontein beach, Kleinmond beach, Lappiesbaai beach in Stilbaai, Santos beach in Mossel Bay, Robberg beach in Plettenberg Bay and Dolphin beach in Jeffrey’s Bay.

Municipalities have seen the benefits to tourism in their areas of being awarded blue-flag beach status,  ensuring that the beaches in their areas are clean, safe and well-managed.   South Africa is one of 38 countries participating in the Blue Flag programme.

The full list of South African Blue Flag beaches is as follows:

• MacDougall’s Bay, Port Nolloth (new)  
• Yzerfontein Main beach, Yzerfontein (new) 
• Big Bay beach, Bloubergstrand Cape Town (new)
• Clifton 5th beach, Cape Town 
• Camps Bay, Cape Town    
• Muizenberg, Cape Town    
• Strandfontein beach, Cape Town  
• Mnandi beach, Cape Town    
• Bikini beach, Gordon’s Bay   
• Kleinmond beach, near Hermanus  (back in programme)  
• Hawston beach, near Hermanus   
• Grotto beach, Hermanus    
• Lappiesbaai, Stilbaai, Southern Cape  
• Santos beach, Mossel Bay  (new)  
• Hartenbos beach, Mossel Bay (new) 
• Robberg 5 beach, Plettenberg Bay (new) 
• Dolphin beach, Jeffrey’s Bay  
• Humewood beach, Port Elizabeth 
• Hobie beach, Port Elizabeth  
• Wells Estate, north of Port Elizabeth  
• Kelly’s beach, Port Alfred    
• Kariega Main beach, Kenton-on-Sea (new) 
• Boknes beach, Kenton-On-Sea   (new)
• Gonubie beach, East London (back in programme)
• Trafalgar beach, south coast KZN (new)
• Marina beach, south coast KZN  
• Ramsgate beach, near Margate  
• Margate beach     
• Alkantstrand, Richards Bay (new)

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

Life’s a Beach!

Cape Town has the largest number of Blue Flag beaches of all cities in the country, six of its beaches receiving the prestigious accreditation.

Nine of the 19 Blue Flag beaches are in the Western Cape, and include Lappiesbaai Beach in Stilbaai, Grotto and Hawston beaches in Hermanus, Bikini Beach in Gordon’s Bay, Mnandi and Strandfontein beaches in Strandfontein, Muizenberg beach, and Clifton 4th and Camps Bay beaches on the Atlantic seaboard, reports the Cape Times.    Four Port Elizabeth beaches have also received Blue Flag accreditation, while all six Durban beaches have lost their Blue Flag status.

Blue Flag status is awarded to 2 585 beaches in 31 countries, and evaluates the safety, amenities, cleanliness, and environmental information and management of the beaches.  The programme is expected to be expanded to the Indian Ocean Islands.