5 remote beach towns in South Africa worth the drive

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South Africa’s coastline stretches for thousands of kilometres, and while places like Cape Town and Durban grab the spotlight, it’s the quiet, tucked-away beach towns that offer real escape. If you’re ready to trade crowds for solitude and chain restaurants for local fish shacks, these five remote beach towns are worth every minute behind the wheel…

1. Kosi Bay, KwaZulu-Natal

Why go: Kosi Bay isn’t just remote – it’s wild. Think mangrove estuaries, ancient fish traps, and untouched sandbanks that stretch to Mozambique.

What to do: Snorkel in the estuary, explore by canoe, or go turtle tracking under the stars. It’s a nature-lover’s dream.

Getting there: A long haul from Durban (about six hours), but the payoff is pristine isolation.

2. Paternoster, Western Cape, South Africa

Why go: White-washed fishermen’s cottages, windswept beaches, and a raw Atlantic backdrop. Paternoster feels frozen in time.

What to do: Stroll barefoot along the shell-strewn beach, kayak with dolphins, or book a table at Wolfgat, one of the world’s best restaurants hiding in plain sight.

Getting there: About two hours north of Cape Town on the R27, it’s an easy drive with zero city stress.

Paternoster beach. Image: wikimedia commons.

3. Mdumbi, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Why go: No signal. No traffic. Just rolling hills, empty waves, and the kind of peace that resets your brain.

What to do: Surf, hike, or just lie back and watch Nguni cattle wander down the beach. This beach town is off the grid, both literally and spiritually.

Getting there: A five-hour drive from East London with a 4×4 stretch at the end. Getting there is part of the adventure.

4. Cape Infanta, Western Cape

Why go: Tucked at the mouth of the Breede River where it meets the Indian Ocean, South Africa’s Cape Infanta is quiet, rugged, and seriously underrated.

What to do: Go fishing off the rocks, swim in the estuary, or just watch the sun melt into the ocean. It’s sleepy in the best possible way.

Getting there: Around fours hours from Cape Town, the last stretch is gravel – adding to the sense that you’re going somewhere secret.

Cape Infanta, Western Cape. Image: wikimedia commons.

5. Hondeklip Bay, Northern Cape, South Africa

Why go: If Mars had a beach, it would look like this! Stark. Isolated. Strangely beautiful. It’s a beach town that time skipped.

What to do: Explore shipwrecks, visit the unique “Aristea” ruins, and stare into the night sky – it’s some of the clearest stargazing in the country.

Getting there: A mission from Cape Town (about six–seven hours), but if you’re chasing solitude, Hondeklip delivers.