After our drive through Chapman's Peak we decided to check out the quaint coastal town of Hout Bay. It's a very picturesque town about 20 minutes drive from Camps Bay and is close to the entrance point for Chapman's Peak drive. The name Hout Bay means Wood Bay in English and was named by the first Governor of Cape Town who found most of the wood required to build the early Cape settlement in this area. Unfortunately, not much of the forest remains today but It developed into one of the busiest harbors in the Western Cape with well-established tuna, snoek (mackerel type fish) and crayfish fisheries. We wandered around the harbor and soaked up the atmosphere as it was a holiday here (Reconciliation Day) the place was jumping with locals and tourists alike.
An abandoned public building is slowly becoming engulfed by a large sand dune. The sea is on the other side of the dune. Hout Bay is surrounded by mountains and a large inlet which makes it a beautiful place to visit but it also means it gets a lot of windy days, like it was today. You can see the sand being whipped by the wind near the top of the roof
A group of musicians at Mariners Wharf pounding out some wonderful rhythmic music on drums and several xylophones completely made out of wood
The pristine waters of Hout Bay Harbor with its fleet of fishing boats waiting to go out at sunrise
Mariners Wharf at the entrance to Hout Bay Harbor has several shops, bars, seafood restaurants and a fish and shellfish market that allows fisherman and tourists to intermingle in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere
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