The defining feature of the town. A five-kilometre stretch of broad sandy beach, backed by dunes and forested hills, with the Outeniqua Mountains rising in the distance. The beach faces the open Indian Ocean; the surf is wild on southwesterly swells, and powerful rip currents make ocean swimming risky except at the few patrolled stretches in high season.
For calm-water swimming the sheltered Touw River lagoon at the western end is a better choice. Walkers have the beach largely to themselves outside the December holidays. The eastern end runs into the Goukamma Nature Reserve coastline beyond the Swartvlei estuary mouth.