Some honeymoons are about doing nothing. Others are about doing something together that neither of you will forget. South Africa’s Cape coast lets you do both: ride a wave in the morning, share a long dinner under Table Mountain at night, and wake up the next day to whales, vineyards or penguins.
Start at Muizenberg: the friendliest wave in Africa
If you pick one place to learn to surf together, make it Muizenberg. Surfer’s Corner, on False Bay, is one of Cape Town’s most frequented surf spots, about 30 minutes southeast of the city bowl, with gentle waves that suit beginners and longboarders. It’s an easy place to be bad at something with someone you love. Local surf schools and rental shops line the beachfront, and the colorful bathing huts give you the photo you’ll put on the fridge for decades.
For surfing, winter is Muizenberg’s best season, when cold fronts send strong southwesterly swells into the bay. For a gentler honeymoon, go in warmer months: the water is cold but can warm up a little in December and January, so bring a good wetsuit whatever the season.
Muizenberg also works for kitesurfers, and the beach has enough room for kitesurfing. Don’t treat it as the main kite destination, though. It has interesting onshore conditions, which suits some riders better than others.
For the wind chasers: Blouberg and Langebaan
Kitesurfers should head north. Blouberg Beach has kite spots at Sunset Beach, Dolphin Beach, Kite Beach and Doodles Beach, with schools offering beginner courses. The reward is the view back across the bay to Table Mountain, which has to be one of the great backdrops in water sports. When the wind there gets too strong, riders go further up the coast to Melkbosstrand.
Blouberg and Langebaan
About 90 minutes north of the city, Langebaan offers shallow water and a kitesurfing school at a lagoon-side hotel. Shallow, flat water is more forgiving for a beginner and kinder to a nervous partner. Kite season is generally the windy summer, so a couple who surf and kite can combine the two by planning a trip around November to March, and checking the forecasts before booking.
The pilgrimage: Jeffreys Bay
Experienced surfers may want one extra stop. Supertubes at Jeffreys Bay is South Africa’s, and perhaps the world’s, most famous wave. The best season is winter, from June to August, when cold fronts push in swell from the south, and the dawn session is the one to catch. It’s a long way from Cape Town, so treat it as an add-on for a longer trip rather than a day out. For a non-surfing partner, the town offers beaches and seafood, and the J-Bay Surf Village sells surf brands at discount prices.
The honeymoon proper: a route for two
Fyn Restaurant
A classic structure runs along the Cape: Cape Town, the whale coast, then the Winelands. Many honeymoon itineraries follow exactly that order.
Cape Town: mountain, penguins and views. Take the cable car up Table Mountain for sunset. In summer you can ride a late cable car and watch the African sunset from one of the best views on earth. Spend a morning at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which showcases indigenous flora at the foot of Table Mountain. Then drive south to Boulders Beach, where you can get close to African penguins. Add Robben Island and Cape Point if you want history and wild coastline.
Hermanus: whales from the cliff path. From June to November, southern right whales come close inshore, making Hermanus one of the world’s best places for land-based whale watching. You can walk the cliff path hand in hand and see them without a boat. If you travel in October or November, you’re in the last weeks of the season, so check recent sightings. The nearby Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a lovely place for wine tasting afterward.
Franschhoek and the Winelands: the dinner chapter. Franschhoek is regarded as the food and wine capital of the country, and it’s where the romantic dinners belong. Think long lunches in vineyards, a picnic among the vines, and tasting menus after a day of wine tasting. Estates like Babylonstoren combine a wine estate, an olive oil farm, a hotel, a garden and several farm-to-table restaurants in one place.
Romantic dinners worth planning around
Good tables book out, so reserve early.
A Cape Town tasting-menu evening. One travel report highlighted Fyn, an African-Japanese restaurant that was ranked number 37 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022. Rankings change, so check whether it’s still taking bookings before you plan around it.
A vineyard table in Franschhoek. Choose a restaurant with mountain views, and let the dinner be the entire evening.
A private dinner in a lodge. If you extend your trip, some lodges offer private dining at places like a walled garden, a secluded river boma, or a picnic table among spring flowers.
Sunset at the beach. After a surf day at Muizenberg, grab fish and a drink at a seafront café and watch the light turn over False Bay. It costs very little and may be the most memorable meal of the trip.
A suggested rhythm
Ten days is a comfortable length: three or four in Cape Town, three in Hermanus, and three in the Winelands, with a surf lesson, a kite session and one big dinner built in. Rent a car, since the best parts lie between towns. And leave one day empty, because the best honeymoon memory is often the one you didn’t schedule.
A few practical notes
Timing matters. Winter (June to August) is best for surfing and whales, while December to February is the high season for heat and crowds. Spring and autumn can offer a good balance, but check conditions.
Cold water. Even in summer the Atlantic side is cold, and False Bay is warmer, so ask the surf school about conditions.
Safety. Many Cape breaks, such as Dungeons and Long Beach, are powerful and best left to experienced surfers. Beginners should stick to supervised lessons at Muizenberg.
Verify before you go. Prices, restaurant availability, tour operators and the whale season can change, so confirm details close to your dates.
The best part of this trip isn’t any single wave or dinner. It’s that all of it sits within a few hours’ drive: you can fall off a surfboard together at 9 a.m. and be watching a whale at sunset.
