Elands Bay

Elands Bay, about 220 km north of Cape Town near Lambert's Bay, is a West Coast surf town famous for a long, powerful left-hand point break that wraps around a rocky, kelp-fringed outcrop known as Baboon Point. Surf guides describe a hollow take-off and a peeling wall that can run well over a hundred metres, breaking best on cold, clean winter groundswells — the Atlantic water here is notably chilly, so a good wetsuit is essential year-round. The wave is frequently rated among the finest left-hand points in the country.

The same headland holds Elands Bay Cave (at Baboon Point / Cape Deseada), a declared heritage site whose walls bear San rock paintings — including an eland, other animals and numerous handprints — with archaeological excavations indicating human occupation reaching back some 15,000 years. The pairing of a world-class wave and ancient rock art gives Elands Bay a distinctive dual draw for surfers and heritage travellers alike, along an otherwise remote and windswept stretch of coast.