8 of the CAPE'S ALMOST-SECRET SPOTS

Cape Town and its surrounds hide places that even longtime residents may not know about. Here are some secluded spots and curious remnants of history you might enjoy.

- By Lin Sampson

1 Explore the West Coast for unknown and unnamed bays; there are lots of them. If you drive into the West Coast National Park and take any of the rough roads on the left that lead towards the sea, you will come to a few of the bays, many not even mentioned on the internet. One is Kreef Bay, set within a steep rocky stretch of coastline; there are sublime pools in the rocks that fill up during high tide. It is a great place for catching crayfish, but you need to have a permit.

Tietiesbaai in Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, near Paternoster, has very basic camping facilities and attracts fishermen and the brandy-and-Coke crowd, but during the week it is peaceful, with wild and rocky bays. While you're there, visit the Cape Columbine Lighthouse, the last manned lighthouse in South Africa. From Cape Town, take the R27 north, turn onto the R45 towards Vredenburg, then the R399 to Paternoster, and finally St Augustine Road to the reserve.

2 The Cape Town Club in Queen Victoria Street, which has a jagged history, recently reopened to a loud hurrah. Housed in a Herbert Baker building at the lower end of Queen Victoria Street, it sits in a triangle of history alongside the Anglican Cathedral, the Company's Garden and the Race Reclassification Centre (just to remind you that life in Cape Town has not always been rosy). The club is trying to shrug off its colonial Rhodian past (Cecil John put up geld for the original) with drag brunches and jazz; dandyism is encouraged. And Victoria's Cafe offers light meals and bang-on breakfasts, which you don't have to be a member to enjoy. thecapetownclub.co.za