WHERE less is more

With no electricity or cellphone reception, this gorgeous – and remote – getaway in Smitswinkel Bay offers a tranquil, rejuvenating retreat.

- Wicus Pretorius

The Malawi chairs on the front deck can easily be moved to where they are needed. Water storage is concealed underneath the deck.

THE HOMEOWNERS Barry Clark and Jane Turpie, their children Cameron (19) and Alex (17), and dogs Toffee and Bella.

WHERE Smitswinkel Bay

SIZE 110m2

On a winding road just beyond Simon’s Town, past Miller’s Point on the way to Cape Point, is a bay with a history as rich as its abundant marine life. Here in Smitswinkel Bay – or simply “Smits” as the locals call it – there are about 22 houses. Some are ramshackle and run-down, but here and there, dotted against the slopes of the valley, are new structures carefully inserted like puzzle pieces between the older houses with their rusty roofs.

It’s in one of these new builds that the Clark family of Tokai, Cape Town have holidayed for the past three years. Theirs is an ecofriendly wooden house with unobstructed views of the bay and a braai stoep that’s sheltered from the South-Easter when it starts to whip up white horses on the ocean’s surface. The view framed by each of the large windows is perfection, the sea an aquamarine paradise.

There’s no cellphone reception or electricity – and the only access is via one of two footpaths. There’s no shortcut and if you plan to visit, you’d best pack light because parking closer isn’t an option. “Planning a visit is like preparing for a hiking trail,” says Jane. “You plan carefully, you don’t over-cater – and what you need goes into a rucksack!”