Kommetjie travel guide

Driving along the Atlantic side of the peninsula, you could miss Kommetjie altogether. The name means ‘little basin’, a reference to the natural inlet in the rocks which has been developed into a tidal pool. The settlement is small with a pub, restaurant, caravan park and little else. It is, however, a major surfing spot and Long Beach to the north is always busy with surfers, even in winter. There is also an interesting walk along Long Beach to the wreck of the Kakapo, offering a rare opportunity to examine a wreck at close quarters without having to don full scuba equipment. The Kakapo is a steamship which was beached here in May 1900 on her maiden voyage when the captain apparently mistook Chapman’s Peak for Cape Point during a storm. The boiler and shell are still intact about 100 m above the high tide mark.