Affectionately called ‘the republic of Hout Bay’ by its residents, due mainly to the limited means of access into this attractive suburb - there are only three - Hout Bay lies just 20 minutes’ from the centre of Cape Town yet has a unique and timeless beauty that makes it so popular with locals and visitors. Hout Bay was formerly a fishing village and has managed to maintain its unique combination of fishing harbour and country atmosphere, despite development. Its long, sandy beach faces a bay framed by mountains and is quite simply exceptionally beautiful. Capetonians throng here over weekends to partake of the local fish & chips and to catch a glimpse of the resident Cape seals that make the harbour their home.