Hout Bay Harbour

Hout Bay Harbour on Harbour Road is a working fishing harbour on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, about 20 km south of central Cape Town in South Africa's Western Cape. Set in a sheltered bay ringed by mountains, including the pointed peak known as the Sentinel, it is home to a fleet of crayfish and line-fishing boats, a seafood-processing industry and a lively waterfront. Visitors can walk along the quay, watching the boats unload, and browse the Mariner's Wharf complex, where fish-and-chips stalls, seafood restaurants and curio shops serve the day's catch. The harbour's most popular activity is a boat trip to Duiker Island, also known as Seal Island, a rocky islet a short distance off the coast that hosts a large colony of Cape fur seals. The trips take about 45 minutes, and the boats circle the island so visitors can watch the seals sunbathing, swimming and playing. Weather permitting, trips run from about 9:30AM to 4:30PM. Seals also lounge near the quay, and local fishermen sometimes feed them, which draws a crowd. The harbour also hosts a weekend market in the nearby Bay Harbour Market with food, crafts and live music, and nearby Chapman's Peak Drive begins just beyond the bay. A visit takes one to two hours, longer with a market visit or lunch. The best light for photographs is in the morning, when the sea is calm and the mountains are lit, and sunset adds colour to the bay. Weekends and summer afternoons are the busiest times, with queues for the boat trips and fish and chips. The sea can be rough, and cancellations are common in strong wind. Visitors should bring a windbreaker, sun protection and, for those prone to seasickness, take precautions.