This guide will provide you with all the popular kitesurfi ng and windsurfi ng spots as an easy reference guide for planning your weekends and holidays. Where possible, we ‘ve made recommendations for cool places to stay and activities to enjoy! To the locals out there, please feel free to add your accomodation and hot spot recommendations in the comments section.

FALSE BAY
REGION: Strand
Spot: Makassar
How to get there: Take the N2 out of Cape Town. Pass airport and after about 35km take the Macassar/Firgrove off-ramp. Turn right at the top of the bridge and drive towards Macassar. Look out for the dirt road on your left. You will see sewerage works. Follow the winding dirt road to the beach.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Best wind: E, SE, S, SW
Heads up: Watch out for gangstas, tik-heads and gray-suits.

REGION: Strand
Spot: Main beach
How to get there: Take the N2 out of Cape Town. Look out for the first Somerset West/Strand off-ramp. Turn right on the bridge. You will pass the Sasol station at the entrance to Somerset Mall. After three sets of traffic lights, turn right into Beach Rd. You will see the wooden Strand clubhouse on your right.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Best wind: North West, West, South West, Southerly
Heads up: Only kitesurf north of the the Lifesaving Club. Watch out for surfers and bathers.

BOLAND:
REGION: Boland
SPOT: Bettys Bay - Silver Sands
How to get there: Drive along the R44 towards Hermanus. First right turnoff at Bettys Bay is Porter road. Second tun-off right is Delport. Drive til the dirt road turns into a sandy track. Park just before the gate or drive in and pay Peter John to look after your car. Sandboarding dunes to your right, beach to your left. Walk over the dunes to get to the beach.
Conditions: Freestyle & Wave (cross-on rights)
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Best Wind: SE, Southerly
Heads up: Beautiful unspoiled beach. Sandboarding across the road. There’s a cool penguine colony in the reserve - follow the signs with penguins on them - 10 bucks gets you into the reserve.                              Accomodation: Betty’s Bay Backpackers - what a cool spot.

REGION: Boland
SPOT: Bettys Bay - Main beach
How to get there: Turn right at the service station in Bettys bay. This is the other end of Porter road, left into Anglers, right into Access road. Park at the beach parking lot, and walk across the dune. Kiting towards your left away from the rocks.
Conditions: Freestyle & Wave (cross-on rights)
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Best Wind: South Easter, Southerly
Heads up: Same as Silversands – just a smaller beach

REGION: Pringle Bay
SPOT: Main Beach
How to get there: Take the N2 highway towards Sir Lowry’s Pass. After passing through Somerset West, turn right at the Gordon’s Bay/ Kleinmond sign, and then left at the T-junction and signboard in Gordon’s Bay marked Rooi Els/ R44. Within 15 minutes you’ll be in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, looking across False Bay to Cape Point. Continue past Kogel Bay, pass Rooi Els and then turn right into Pringle Bay, which is clearly signposted.
Conditions: Wave riding (cross-on rights), Free style
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Best Wind: North Wester, Westerly
Heads up: Freestyle & Wave (cross-on rights), Intermediate to Advanced. Fickle & gusty, but some good waves if you strike it lucky.

OVERBERG:
REGION: Hermanus
Spot: Grotto beach
How to get there: Take the N2 out of Cape Town. After Sir Lowry’s Pass, take the Hermanus off-ramp. Drive all the way through Hermanus town and after the last traffic circle, follow signs to Grotto beach.
Conditions: Waveriding
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Best wind: West North West, Westerly, South West
Heads Up: Beware of bathers. Nice multitasking opportunity: whale watch while kiteboarding.

REGION: Cape Infanta/Witsand
Spot: Lagoon
How to get there: From Cape Town, follow the N2 past Caledon, through Riviersonderend, just before Swellendam take the right hand turn sign posted Infanta.
Conditions: Freestyle (flatwater lagoon),
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Best wind: South Easter
Heads up: Smooth water and great fishing.

REGION: Struisbaai
Spot: Main Beach
How to get there: Travelling from Cape Town, leave the N2 at Caledon and take the R316 to Bredasdorp. From Bredasdorp take the R319 to Struisbaai/L’Agulhas (28 km). When entering Struis Baai, drive about 2km and you will see NOSTRA on your left hand side at the beach. This is a good rigging area.
Conditions: Freestyle & Wave (cross-on rights),
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Best wind: Easterly, South East, South West
Heads up: Easterly is best, longest un-interupted white sand beach in the southern hemisphere (14km). Larger waves towards Die Plaat, Flat water near the harbour. Speak with Erin and Malan at Cape Agulhas Backpackers for directions to kitesurf-able spots.

REGION: Stilbaai
Spot: River Mouth
How to get there: From Cape Town, take the N2 in an easterly direction passing Swellendam, Heidelberg and Riversdale. 8km after Riversdale turn right onto the R305 and proceed for 26km to Stilbaai.
Conditions: Freestyle & Wave (cross-on  rights)                                                      Level: Beginner to Advanced.
Best wind: South Easter, Southerly
Heads up: Watch the rocks.

GARDEN ROUTE:
REGION: Mossel Bay
Spot: Nautilus Bay Beach
How to get there: Take the N2 turn off to Vlees Bay. Follow the turn off to Nautilus Bay Estate. Follow the road to the beach. (This is a private estate and unless you live there you will not be allowed access. Befriend a local!)
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Advanced
Best wind: South East, South, South West, West
Heads up: Isolation!

REGION: Sedgefield
Spot: Myoli Beach
How to get there: Take the N2 into Sedgefield. At the traffic lights at the garage/Friendly supermarket turn right. Go straight at the circle towards the river. Drive all the way until you get to the parking lot at the river mouth and proceed with that road till you get onto a gravel road, follow the gravel road to the end and turn right onto the tar road towards the parking lot.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style, Wake style
Level: All levels
Best wind: South East, East
Heads up: Beware of kiteboarding too far up the river mouth – you enter the lee side of the cliffs and will lose your kite in the water. If you go across the river mouth you can’t walk back. Next beach is Swart Vlei about 6km down wind. Down wind runs are possible to Swart Vlei but note the wind often drops as you approach the cliffs of Gerrickes point (Swart Vlei).

REGION: Mossel Bay
Spot: Dana Bay
How to get there: As you enter Mossel Bay N2 from Cape Town, turn right at 1st traffic light to Dana Bay. Follow the signs to 2nd beach.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Advanced
Best wind: South, South West, North
Heads up: Can be gusty at times.

REGION: Hartenbos
Spot: River mouth
How to get there: Take the N2 turn off to Hartenbos. Turn left at the Engen garage into Hartenbos. Turn left at the T junction and follow the road all the way to the river mouth parking lot.
Conditions: Wave riding (small), Free style, Wake style
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Best wind: East, South East,South, South West
Heads up: Rocky towards the right of the mouth at low tide, gusty at times

REGION: Buffels Bay
Spot: River mouth
How to get there: Take the Buffels Bay turn off from the N2, follow that road till you see the river mouth, park on the left of the road or in the 1st parking lot on the right at the backpackers lodge.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style, wake style
Level: All levels
Best wind: West, South West and North West
Heads up: Bird breeding area, don’t kite in the river, only in the sea.

REGION: Buffels Bay
Spot: Main beach
How to get there: Take the Buffels Bay turn off from the N2, follow that road into Buffels Bay and at the 3rd stop turn left and follow the road to the parking lot at the beach.
Conditions: Wave riding
Level: Advanced
Best wind: East toSouth Easterly
Heads up: Difficult to launch kite in high season with the people on the beach, you have to walk a bit to get to the slipway and then go from there. Be careful of the rocks. On-shore kitesurfing conditions.

REGION: Great-Brak
Spot: River mouth
How to get there: Take the Great Brak turn off from the N2 (signs may say ‘Groot Brak’ in the local lingo). Turn right under the bridge and then left at the T junction. Turn 1st road right before you get to the river bridge and follow the road to the parking lot.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style, Wake style
Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Best wind: South, South West, West and North West
Heads up: Gusty during North West.

REGION: Wilderness
Spot: Main Beach
How to get there: Take the N2 into Wilderness. Turn 1st road right after the river bridge in to the parking lot at the NSRI house.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style, Wake style
Level: All levels (only because we figure it is next to the NSRI!)
Best wind: East, South East, South and South West
Heads up: Gusty in the westerly winds

REGION: Knysna
Spot: Brenton on lake
How to get there: Take the Brenton turn off from the N2. Turn right under the bridge and follow the road till you get the Brenton on Lake sign and turn left. Park in the parking lot next to the slipway.
Conditions: Flat water, Free style
Level: All
Best wind: South East
Heads up: Watch out for the poles and boats. You have to walk past the resort and have to rig your gear on the flatlands grass.

REGION: Plettenberg Bay
Spot: Keurbooms River mouth
How to get there: Take the Plett turn-off from the N2 at the Engen garage, travel about 350m and turn left into Xenon Street, first left into Plato road, second right and drive straight to the lagoon.
Conditions: Wake riding, Free style
Level: Beginners to Intermediate
Best wind: South East, East
Heads up: Virtually all the Plett beaches are do-able in South–South Easterly winds, but as it is onshore, it is sometimes difficult to get to the back line.

REGION: Plettenberg Bay
Spot: Keurbooms, The Waves
How to get there: Take the Keurboomstrand turn-off from the N2, follow the road and take a right at Wybo’s Restaurant, drive until the first car park overlooking the beach, just beyond the Waves development.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Intermediate, advanced
Best wind: South West, East, South East.
Heads up: It’s best in South Westerly winds but also suitable in South Easterly. A down winder back to Keurooms River Mouth is about a 9km run. Surf is usually double Pletts size, but very manageable, offering large faces to surf in to the beach, oh yes, and mind the whales at the back line. Favourite spot of locals, and you have the whole place to yourself – a must do if you come to Plett.

No wind? Other great things to do on the Garden Route: Great White Shark Cage Diving in Mossel Bay (and Gansbaai just past Hermanus), Quad biking and 4×4 track days at Louvain in the Langkloof, scuba diving in Knysna, Knysna Elephant rides, fishing on charter, see the Big 5 at Bottelierskop Game Farm, feel lucky at the Garden Route Royal Casino, and have a happy ending at the Spa afterwards! Feast on excellent seafood at De Vetter Mossel in Groot Brak, go berry picking at Redberry Farm in George, play golf at Fancourt or one of the other numero uno golf destinations on the Garden Route. Clear your lungs at Bloukrans River Bridge Bungee. Very popular for paragliding and hangliding. Tree-top Canopy Tours at the Tsitsikama forest, abseiling, paintball, bird watching, whale watching and any other kind of watching that please the eye. Nice.