Since the development of the V&A Waterfront began in 1995, the real estate value in neighbouring seaside suburbs like Green Point and Mouille Point has soared. Beach Road, only a stone’s throw from the sea, is today lied with a row of expensive high-rise apartments, as well as trendy restaurants and modern,  upmarket office blocks.

The sports complex that was built on the common comprises hockey, soccer, rugby and cricket fields, bowling greens, tennis and squash courts, a sports stadium and a golf course. Green Point’s white candy-striped lighthouse, built in 1824, is still functional. Its resonant foghorn is notorious for keeping Mouille Point’s residents awake when mist rolls in from the sea. Further on along Beach Road lies the suburb of Sea Point. It has undergone intensive development over the years and sports towering apartment blocks, hotels and offices.

Small sandy coves dot the rocky shoreline. The tidal pools among the rocks are always a source of amazement, particularly for children, who enjoy scrambling around looking for sea anemones, tiny starfish, shells and the occasional octopus. Graaff’s Pool is a secluded bathing spot. It is open to the sea and for men only.