Kalk Bay in 30 images by Salem Etaka
Ah Kalk Bay, shabby chic jewel of Cape Town with that devil-may-care, scruffily confident vibe that makes us breathe oh-so-deeply. How can we count the ways in which we love you? Half an hour from central Cape Town (ok, sometimes you need the wind behind you), sandwiched between mountain and sea, lies this fishing village that almost has it all. Tidal pools, cobbled streets, quality food and coffee, a fishing harbour, a tiny theatre and even some challenging surf. No wonder America’s Forbes Magazine crowned it one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods.
Our photographer Salem took 500 pics of Kalk Bay and could have taken at least 500 more. Cutting them down was like killing our own babies. But here we scratch Kalk Bay’s surface with just 30, and kept some more for Kalk Bay part two here
Dalebrook tidal pool: a local institution for a morning swim, even in midwinter
We told you it was cool here
Main Road, Kalk Bay
Looking back at Kalk Bay from the harbour wall
Fish, just caught
More fish, cleaned for you by a pro
We can’t even begin to imagine how many hours of work this street art represents
Kalk Bay bookshop from the outside…
…and the inside
Millionaire location at local prices at Kalk Bay Village Square
Classic Kalk Bay: a kind local lady regularly leaves this chair by a tidal pool for those who’d like to consider life for a while
One road back from the sea, locals commune over a takeaway from Bob’s Bagel Café
Bob’s (see above)
Wire art outside the Olympia Café, a shabby chic food mecca for visitors, locals and passing ultra-cyclists
Round the corner from Olympia Café’s restaurant is its bakery for takeaway coffee, fresh-baked ciabatta and pastries too naughty to show here
And round the other corner is Bootlegger, where more cyclists quaff further coffees
Twin commute: London (lol)
Mountains to the south and the north, sea to the east, working harbour right in front of you
Got a thing about yesteryear? Indulge it at China Town
A walk to the lighthouse taking in dreamy mountains and a fragrant, glinting sea has to be one of the world’s greatest pleasures
Clearly these guys are fishing. It happens a lot at Kalk Bay
The dudes are chilled
Ok, these guys are trying harder
So’s this one
Which one to choose? It hurts our brains
Kalky’s Fish and Chips: a community institution
Kalk Bay Reef has ‘a gnarly left that can hold a big swell’, if you know what that means. If you don’t, rather go down the road to surf at Muizenberg
More works of art on the wall of Live Bait, a restaurant so close to the ocean that its windows are regularly bashed in by stormy seas
…And pause
We’ll publish Kalk Bay Take Two soon but what else do you think Salem should photograph in Cape Town? Mail us