As you drive over the hill from the City Bowl in Cape Town, the spectacular vista of the Twelve Apostles and the long sandy beach of Camps Bay opens up below you. This is one of the best beaches in South Africa, or even in the world.

Enclosed in a semi-circle of dramatic mountains, the city's largest beach offers views every way you look. During Cape Town's long summer days, locals come for a surf and a sunbathe (and sometimes a game of touch rugby) as late as seven or eight in the evening or enjoy sundowners at the strip of trendy beach-facing bars and restaurants along Camps Bay Main Road. The beach's convenient location, just twenty minutes from the V&A Waterfront or ten minutes from the City Bowl, means it's an easy excursion for those who prefer to be more CBD or Waterfront-based, or it makes for a scenic base all on its own.

Camps Bay is just minutes away from the Table Mountain cable car and my favourite South African hiking spot: Lion's Head. Stay at the stylish Bay Hotel or Camps Bay Retreat to be just steps from the sand, or treat yourself to a stay at the iconic Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, just five minutes around the headland for a truly luxurious experience overlooking the ocean.

This section of Cape Town's coast, stretching south from the Waterfront, is known as the Atlantic Seaboard and boasts views out to Robben Island and some of the city's best sunsets. A few minutes north of Camps Bay and ensconced in some of Cape Town's hottest real estate, the beaches of Clifton 1, 2, 3 and 4 each host their own unique crowd. For the trendy and beautiful, Clifton 4 is the place to be seen but beware, the steep stairs down to these beaches are not suitable for everyone. Runners and walkers will love the lively Seapoint Promenade. This water's edge path also features art installations, an outdoor gym and swimming pool and plenty of restaurants and ice cream stands. If you're looking for somewhere a little quieter, particularly during busy season, upmarket Llandudno at the south end of the Atlantic Seaboard is a small but exclusive enclave with a stunning beach, still within easy range of the city centre.

Top tips: Parking can be scarce around the busy Christmas season so grab a taxi to save time. Hit the rooftop Chinchilla bar on the main strip in Camps Bay for a spectacular sunset, cool tunes and amazing cocktails, then feast at the Hussar Grill on Camps Bay Main Road for some of the best steaks in the city.

Boulders Beach would be well worth a visit if only for the calm waters of this small protected cove and the big boulders that create private corners for sunbathers and opportunities for the more adventurous to clamber and leap into the sea from a height.

The penguins couldn't agree more!

Boulders is home to a large protected colony of endangered African penguins (formerly Jackass penguins) and these adorable critters waddle, paddle and float, undeterred by human visitors, like charming little waiters in their slick tailcoats. A conservation fee of roughly £4 per person prevents the beach from getting crowded and the entertaining residents and safe-swimming make this an ideal day out for families, and one of the best beaches in South Africa for nature lovers.

The beach is roughly an hour's drive from the city centre and could be combined with lunch in the charming Kalk Bay neighbourhood. Boulders is also one of the stops on our popular Cape Point and Peninsula tour which also takes in the spectacular Chapman's Peak drive and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

Hermanus is best known for its fantastic whale watching opportunities from July to November, but its Blue Flag beaches make this a great stop on fly drives throughout the summer.

A popular summer holiday spot for Capetonians, this buzzy beach town offers a wide range of activities on both land and sea, from sandboarding, paragliding and ziplining to wine tasting in the aptly named Hemel en Aarde (heaven and earth) valley.

The 11km Cliff Path leads to the vast white sands of Grotto Beach and also offers some of the world's best land-based whale spotting opportunities. Be sure to request a sea view room if visiting during whale season and you may spot a fantastic breach right from your window.

Nature lovers can also explore the fynbos, the endemic Cape plant kingdom to which the beautiful protea belongs, at the Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Hermanus is also home to sharks, seals, penguins and dolphins and adrenaline junkies can get up close and personal with Great Whites on a shark cage diving excursion.

At 90 minutes southeast of Cape Town, Hermanus is a good stop on any Garden Route itinerary or can be combined with Cape Town in the summer for a relaxing beach and city twin centre holiday.

TF's top hotel pick: Harbour House Hotel Hermanus

Positioned right in the heart of Hermanus, take advantage of the hotel’s central location and explore local markets, cafés, and local eateries whilst enjoying the seaside atmosphere

The Garden Route stretches along the south coast of South Africa from Mossel Bay, 240km east of Cape Town, to Port Elizabeth. The route covers scenic national parks, characterful towns, luxury game lodges and of course some of the best beaches in South Africa.

The quiet town of Wilderness is the perfect base from which to explore the areas most untouched beaches as well as spectacular forest and mountain trails. It's also perfectly located to break up the drive between Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay or Plett, arguably the best place for beach lovers in this part of South Africa. Four of Plett's eleven beaches are Blue Flag. Central Beach is moments from the flourishing town centre and the most popular of the beaches with plenty of facilities while nearby Robberg and Lookout Beaches are great for long walks and Nature's Valley Beach offers fantastic birdwatching.

The town of Knysna, just half an hour from Plett, is famous for its annual Oyster Festival, peaceful lagoon setting and the towering Knysna Heads cliffs at the lagoon mouth. The shallow waters of Bollard Bay Beach on Leisure Island and the rockpools of Brenton Beach near the Heads make Knysna a great family beach destination.

When you've had enough sea and sand, the area has plenty more to offer. Lunch amongst the vines at Bramon Wines, take the kids to the monkey sanctuary, golf at Gary Player-designed Goose Valley or explore the Tsitsikamma Forest on horseback.

Further east, the quaint, laidback town of St. Francis Bay offers quirky beachfront accommodation, a variety of shops and restaurants and easy access to world class surfing at nearby Jeffrey's Bay (or J Bay, to locals). It's just a hop and a skip from St.Francis to the private game reserves of the Eastern Cape and Port Elizabeth Airport, so this is a great place to recover from international flights or for a relaxing finish on your Garden Route adventure.

East of the Garden Route and just an hour and a half from East London, lies the sleepy town of Port Alfred. Nearby on a 7km stretch of white sand beach lies an absolute gem of a property: Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve. Home to hundreds of bird species, antelope and giraffe, nature lovers can enjoy daily nature drives, spa treatments and gourmet beach picnics. Due to its close proximity to all of the Eastern Cape safari lodges, it's perfect for a post-safari beach break at the end of a fly drive holiday, to wind down. What more can you ask for?

Top tip: The populations of towns along the Garden Route soar over the December period when locals from Johannesburg make their way to the beach for their Christmas holidays. The Christmas crowd brings fun events, local bands and great atmosphere to the coastal towns but for a quieter summer experience and better availability, try November or late January.

TF's top hotel pick for the Garden Route: The Plettenberg

This gracious landmark of the Garden Route offers a spectacular location atop of a dramatic rocky headland overlooking miles of golden beaches and the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountain ranges.

With new direct flights from London to Durban on British Airways as well as daily connections via Dubai with Emirates, KwaZulu-Natal Province is easier to explore than ever.

Whether it's wetlands, battlefields, safari or the majestic Drakensberg Mountains that bring you to KZN, you may want to finish off your trip with a beach stay on the region's Dolphin Coast. Named for the bottlenose dolphins often spotted here, the Dolphin Coast borders the warm Indian Ocean and the region's subtropical climate means pleasant balmy weather year round, with winter averages in the mid twenties, and some of the best beaches in South Africa.

Ballito is a popular beach town about forty five minutes north of Durban, with long sandy beaches and a lively little town centre. The Dolphin Coast is an excellent option for sun and sand year round and especially in the winter months when Cape Town is cooler and wetter.

Umhlanga (oom-schlanger), a small upmarket beach town on the outskirts of Durban, is a great alternative to a night in the city before or after international flights and there are a great range of restaurants and bars to enjoy. The iconic Oyster Box Hotel is right on Umhlanga Beach and offers panoramic sea views and a popular afternoon tea.

TF's top hotel pick for Umhlanga: The Oyster Box

This iconic hotel exudes timeless elegance and is ideal for a relaxing beach stay following a safari holiday.

If you're in Cape Town for more than a day or two you'll want to explore False Bay, so named because Portuguese sailors often mistook it for Table Bay.

Capetonians' reputation as 'arty, chilled out surfer types' is epitomised here more than anywhere. A string of of beachfront towns, close enough to walk between and filled with hidden gems, make for a great day out.

Muizenberg (mooz-en-berg) beach is ideal for beginner surfers and there are a number of surf schools offering classes and board rentals. On weekends Muizenberg Beach is popular with families, dog walkers and brunchers enjoying meals at beachfront Knead Bakery and Tiger's Milk restaurant. A short walk along the beach or drive along Main Road brings you to Casa Labia. Built in 1929 in the Venetian style, the grand former residence of Count and Countess Labia is now a fantastic seafacing restaurant and tea room. Not far down the road is another famous (though far humbler) home: The Rhodes Cottage Museum. The preserved home of controversial magnate and politician Cecil John Rhodes, is a very simple little institution run by elderly volunteers, but his life and impact on South Africa are fascinating and it is well worth a visit.

A little beyond Muizenberg is St.James, famed for its colourful changing rooms and tide pools, and beyond that is Kalk Bay. Antique stores, clothing boutiques, bookshops and coffee shops all add to the charm of this eclectic neighbourhood. There is even a resident palm reader should that tickle your fancy. The Brass Bell offers pub fare and seafood so close to the water's edge that at high tide the waves often crash right into the restaurants. Olympia Coffee is a favourite amongst hipsters, cyclists and bikers and Cape to Cuba serves up mojitos with a view.

If it's peace and quiet you're looking for, head to the opposite side of the peninsula. Scarborough, Kommetjie ('com-ek-ee') and Noordhoek (nerd-hook). All rarely visited by tourists and accessed via the spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive - these beaches are among the best in South Africa and will simply blow your mind with their powdery white sands and dazzling (if cold!) blue waters.

For that perfect symmetrical Table Mountain photo, head to Tableview or Milnerton, north of the city. These long quiet beaches offer great views back towards the Mother City and Robben Island.