Vishoek, Wes-Kaap

Fish Hoek is a charming seaside village located along the False Bay coast surrounded by mountains and has one of the safest swimming beaches in the Cape area.

This tranquil and relaxed fishing village is central to most of Cape Town’s attractions and neighbouring towns like Noordhoek, Kommetjie, Kalk Bay and Muizenberg offer plenty of activities if you don’t feel like travelling into the city centre. It is one of the few villages along the Cape coast that has retained its original character, and it is host to a variety of small and interesting businesses. Fish Hoek is a small village and is thus easy to explore on foot, so enjoy a relaxed day browsing through the main street which is dotted with interesting craft, curios and antique shops as well as restaurants and takeaway places. Being a vibrant fishing village, most restaurants specialise in serving up delicious seafood cuisine!

Because of its safe swimming beach, Fish Hoek is a popular option for family holidays and the water here is a little warmer than the beaches along the Atlantic seaboard. Its beautiful white sandy beach is popular with surfers, hobie-cat sailors and lifesavers. Locals love to walk their pooches along the catwalk which leads southwards toward to Sunny Cove and the Fish Hoek Galley is situated right on the beach and has a wonderful selection of family style restaurants.

With a mountain backdrop, exploring your surroundings via hiking trails is not to be missed. Birdwatching, walking and hiking trails are scattered around the area, Peer’s Cave is a popular tourist spot and also a National Monument.

Fish Hoek accommodation includes a hotel as well as a few self-catering units throughout the village.

Places to Visit

Things to do and see

• Fish Hoek Beach
• Clovelly Beach
• Fish Hoek Mountain Walk
• Jager Walk
• Peers Cave Hike
• Whale Watching
• Silvermine Nature Reserve
• Fish Hoek Valley Museum
• Atlantic Rail Steam Train, re-opens July 2018
• Clovelly Golf Course

Climate

Kommetjie receives approximately 764 mm of rain annually with the majority of its’ rainfall occurring during the winter months.

Summer months, November to March will have average temperatures of between 15˚C and 26˚C.

Winter months, May to August will have average temperatures of between 8˚C and 19˚C.

Transport

There are daily flights into Cape Town International Airport, 40 km away via the N2 and M3. Car hire facilities, Uber and metered taxis are available at the Airport.

History

Fish Hoek, or Vishoek in Afrikaans meaning “Fish Corner”, appears on the earliest maps of South Africa however it was only in 1918 that it was laid out as a township. Before this time, the seaside village was considered a poor village with a whaling industry.

The first grant of land in Fish Hoek was granted to Andries Bruins in 1818. The land was sold several times and in 1883 Hester de Kock became the owner, who realising that Fish Hoek was becoming popular, she left instructions in her Will that the farm was to be surveyed and the land sold as building plots. The first sale took place in 1918, the oldest house on the bay now named Uitkyk. It was bought as a fisherman’s cottage by the Mossop family. This was the beginning of Fish Hoek.