Aye-Aye captain for ship-shape stay in Hout Bay

It also straddles two Peninsula routes like no other suburb does, with direct access to Victoria Road Llandudno, Camps Bay, Clifton and onwards along the Atlantic and Constantia, and the leafy mountain suburbs in the other direction.

Hout Bay also has large farming estates and horses trotting along the road is a common sight while the village or ‘Republic of Hout Bay’, as some locals call it, seems to attract people practicing the healing arts and alternative therapies. Although a fairly recent addition, The Bay Market has revitalised Hout Bay in general, and the area around the harbour in particular with its rightly popular food, clothes, crafts and arty indoor weekend market.

Value-for-money hospitality experiences

A wide range of accommodations is available, which includes hotel and guesthouses – we were impressed by the value-for-money offering at Harbour’s End, a revamped and renamed family-owned and run guesthouse a few paces away from the Mariner’s Wharf development, beach and harbour.

Tamlyn Leitch has two-decades of global hospitality experience and has brought what she knows to this self-catering offering in the form of the things that matter to today’s travellers; plenty conveniently placed plugs and free Wi-Fi, as well as an “always-on” approach when it comes to replying accurately and quickly to guest queries and emails.

Also, as a local (she grew up in the house when it was a family home and still lives on the premises) there isn’t much about where to go and what to see in Hout Bay she can’t tell you. Also, with deep connections to people skippering the boats, she might be the only person able to get you onto a fully-booked cruise.

We lodged in The Crow’s Nest which, as the name suggests, is the highest point at Harbour’s End. We liked the comfy wingback and deep sleeper couch which converts into a double bed, as well as the uncluttered and clean-lined open-plan kitchen. The views over the bay and mountains beyond are spectacular.

Much to explore and see

There is a nautical theme throughout, which is reflected in the blue and white colour scheme and most notably, in the porthole details in the kitchen cabinetry and bedroom door. The en-suite bathroom (large shower, basin and loo) is newly renovated and the whole place has that just-painted ship-shape feel about it.

There is outdoor seating and a shared braai (BBQ) area available.

With Hout Bay as your base, there is much to explore: Sandy Bay, Llandudno’s nature reserve nudist beach is just a short drive away, while the historic homesteads and wine estates of Constantia can be reached in less than 20 minutes. The Hop-On, Hop-Off City Sightseeing and MyCiti bus stops can be accessed nearby.