Local’s Guide: Braai Time at Oudekraal – A Must Do!

For a very long time Oudekraal seemed to a be secret, mystical place on the Western slopes of Table Mountain. Once a location to dance parties, this elusive braai and beach area remained a secret until I eventually grabbed my braai grid, ice lollies and cozzie and made a point of visiting. Today, it’s one of my favourite places to visit within the Mother City. Here’s our local guide to Oudekraal:

Where is Oudekraal?

The Oudekraal braai (BBQ) area is a little hidden bay near the 12 Apostles Hotel. It forms part of San Parks, Table Mountain National Park, to be more specific, and is located on the western side of Table Mountain.

Oudekraal and the 12 Apostles offer some of the best sunset views in Cape Town. (The picture below has not been edited in any way.)

Braaiing at Oudekraal – A Must Do!

There’s nothing better than waking up to a Whatsapp message saying, “Oudekraal 1pm!” The bay offers the perfect swimming for water-shy babies, coupled with large boulder views across the Atlantic. There are brick braais and dustbins available on site, but no shop so it’s important to bring everything with you – including black bags.

Please note: the walkway down has quite a lot of stairs so if you have trouble with stairs or are unable to walk independently, then you will need assistance or may not be able to visit.

Oudekraal Facilities & What to Bring

Parking on-site is limited (about a dozen) so you may need to park over the highway and cross the road.

There are ablution blocks as well as built-in braai facilities and dustbins. We do, however, recommend bringing your own braai grids and packets for trash.

Bringing along your own wet wipes or water to wash your hands, which will also make your visit more comfortable.

Umbrellas, chairs, cooler boxes, hats, sunscreen, cozzies, towels and snacks are also advised – if you want to have a longer visit. *Alcohol is not allowed.

Oudekraal Entry Fees (2021 Day Rates)

To date the Oudekraal staff have been super friendly and helpful. If you have a San Parks card, then your entry is free. We recommend bringing cash to make the payments quick and easy.

• SA ID: R35 for adults with SA IDs, R15 for children.
• SADC: R70 for adults with passports proof, R35 for children.
• International Visitors: R140 for adults, R70 for child.

Game rangers can be seen monitoring the location as it’s part of the San Parks range.

Oudekraal Opening Times

Oudekraal is not open during the week, but rather on weekends and public holidays only. There is NO lifeguard at this beach, so please be prepared to watch your children should they swim.

Oudekraal is closed between the 1st of June and the 30th of September and open between the 1st of October and 31st May.

• Winter: April – September 08:00 – 18:00
• Summer: October – March 08:00 – 18:00

For further information, call 021 712 7471, Monday to Friday. For corporate functions or filming, please call 021 712 0527 for bookings.

*Drones are not allowed to be flown over a National Park.

Visiting Oudekraal

I highly recommend getting a group of your friends and enjoying braaiing, swimming in the sea or just hanging out at Oudekraal. It really is one of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets and one of my favourite places in the city.

The physical address for Oudekraal is: Oudekraal, Picnic Resort, Post Restante, Camps Bay, 8040.

Corporate Functions

PS Please don’t contact me requesting information to host your company event there! I have received several of these since publishing this post, but I don’t work for Oudekraal. Please contact SanParks directly for any further info. Thank you!