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Enchanting 4 bed/4bath just one block from the beach, in private secluded garden

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Pool
Shell Cottage sits peacefully in a completely secluded garden
Main Bedroom 2 is quietly located, airy and sunny and opens to the main garden
Shell Cottage is located just off the bottom left corner of the field
The living space is open plan

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 8250 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Gym
  • Washer
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

Map
Cape Town, Western Cape (province)
  • Camps Bay Beach
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Clifton Bay Beach
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Table Mountain
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Cape Town (CPT-Cape Town Intl.)
    ‪30 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Main Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Main Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 3

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 4

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Kitchenette
Office
Separate dining area
Outdoor play area
Garden

About this property

Enchanting 4 bed/4bath just one block from the beach, in private secluded garden

Shell Cottage and its secret garden is a truly magical space, a haven of tranquility just off the beachfront. Timber boardwalks meander through the lushest garden imaginable filled with trees, birds and a bouquet of scented flowers and citrus. One of Camps Bay’s original coastal homes, it has been restored into a stylish, secluded retreat with four bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and outdoor area, whilst retaining its historic roots.

It's a historic home that's been restyled, with great attention to detail by a leading designer, into a beach-chic retreat where you can truly relax. Our guests say that they immediately feel at peace in this home filled with beauty, inside and out.You'll be welcomed and cared for with a gentle smile by our housekeeper, Priviledge. Without exception, our guests love both her and this magical place...it's all in the reviews!



Shell Cottage is located in the village, just one road removed from the trendy buzz of the beach promenade, but step through your private gate and you'll find yourself in a secret garden, hidden away from the world and filled with shady trees, hibiscus, bougainvillea and all manner of flowers and scents. Floating timber decks overhung by a giant Persian Lilac tree are surrounded by views of the Twelve Apostles and Lions Head mountains.

Though intimate, this light-filled house with its high ceilings feels spacious and airy, as it enjoys a wonderful flow from outside to inside, from every room. Designed with great attention to detail, the house as been curated with original art and stylish, comfortable furniture, large down-filled cushions, a basket of soft throws, books, boardgames.... There's also a glass walled yoga room in the garden for your practice, which could also be used as a playroom for the little ones or a private home office.

We want to you to relax and restore during your stay here, so beds are dressed with white pure cotton linen and soft blankets, plump pillows, goose down duvets. Each bedroom has somewhere to sit quietly, both inside and outside. In the 'green season' we have heating blankets on every bed, heating in every room and unlimited firewood for the open fireplace. In summer we have aircon in the rooms that get the sun, and fans in all other rooms.

Equipped to to the highest standard, the house offers everything international travellers may need in a self catering property at no extra charge, including unlimited fibre wi-fi, electricity, a large Smart TV with Netflix, pool and garden servicing, discrete private security on call and the daily care (weekends excluded) of the world's most wonderful housekeeper, Privilege. For those loadshedding moments we have an inverter and battery that powers the high speed fibre wifi and TV at all times, lights, and a gas stove so you can always cook or make tea or coffee.

One of the best things about Shell Cottage is its most desirable position - Camps Bay beachfront is very close; less than a 2 minute stroll from the front door down a palm lined walkway. Despite being so close to the buzz, the cottage suffers no noise due to its secluded panhandle location off The Drive, a quiet residential road. The local tennis courts, where you are welcome to play, sports field and kiddies play park are across the road, and within a few minutes’ walk you have access to in excess of 35 restaurants, a number of bars, a library, shops, and all the other amenities that Camps Bay offers. The sports bar at the back of the field is a great place to meet the locals for a drink and watch a game.

We have a record of 100% safety in the two decades that we've owned this home, due to its secluded position surrounded by other properties with a very narrow, protected street frontage, the street security patrol of the nearby 5* hotel and our own alarm system monitored by 24 hour security located two blocks away (good to have but has never been necessary).

It's is a holiday house that appeals to all ages. Its single level layout and enclosed garden suits families with young children or the elderly, but its stylish design and great location, just behind the trendy sunset strip and the beach’s great surf break, make it a dream holiday location for a group of friends who want to have a fun holiday.

We'd love you to come and experience Shell Cottage, where our whole focus is to give our valued guests their best holiday experience ever.

Property manager

Alia Preyer
Premier Host

Languages

English, French, Greek

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 2:00 PM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Please enjoy socialising at Shell Cottage but no parties, events, stag or bachelorette groups, and protect the original art and treasures throughout.
Please set the alarm when you go out, always keep the gates closed, and no strangers allowed in - let's keep Shell Cottage secret and secure
Check in is done free of charge on weekdays up to 5pm latest. If your arrival is later than that or weekends there is a call out charge of R500.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is not required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Cape Town

Located in Camps Bay, a neighbourhood in Cape Town, this holiday home is in the mountains and near the beach. While the natural beauty of Camps Bay Beach and Table Mountain can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can explore Cape Town Cruise Terminal. Travelling with kids? Consider Sea Point Swimming Pool and South African Museum and Planetarium. Discover the area's water adventures with snorkelling and windsurfing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and horse riding.
Map
Cape Town, Western Cape (province)

What's nearby

  • Camps Bay Beach - 5 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Clifton Bay Beach - 2 min drive - 1.9 km
  • Lions Head - 5 min drive - 3.7 km
  • Long Street - 8 min drive - 6.1 km
  • Table Mountain - 8 min drive - 5.0 km

Getting around

  • Woodstock Station - 10 min drive
  • Cape Town Station - 15 min drive
  • Cape Town (CPT-Cape Town Intl.) - 30 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Starbucks Cavendish - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Cafe Caprice - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Mantra Cafe - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Zenzero - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Codfather - ‬2 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Enchanting 4 bed/4bath just one block from the beach, in private secluded garden pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Enchanting 4 bed/4bath just one block from the beach, in private secluded garden?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

Where is Enchanting 4 bed/4bath just one block from the beach, in private secluded garden located?

This family-friendly Cape Town holiday home is located by the sea, within a 15-minute walk of Camps Bay Beach and Table Mountain National Park. Maiden's Cove and Clifton Bay Beach are also within 2 miles (3 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 49 out of 54 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 54 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 54 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 54 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 54 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Bernulph F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great stay!
Lovely house with magnificent garden and ideal location. Everything within two minutes walking distance (beach, tennis courts, shops, restaurants).
Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Briana L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great location
Loved: Walk to the beachLocked area for carFriendly housekeeperResponsive hostBungalow with a ton of characterPool
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

David C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Pre wedding stay in camps bay
We thoroughly enjoyed our relaxing stay at shell cottage and have no complaints
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Michelle S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect for our family group
Shell Cottage is a hidden gem - not showy but definitely has all amenities, is authentic to the region and in a fabulous location to enjoy all that Camps Bay, Cape Town and the Peninsula has to offer.Privy, the housekeeper, provides a super service with a big smile wonderful and discreet.The only downside for us was that the pool water was soooo cold but we all still used it.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Timothy M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beyond expectations
Everything about Cape Town was wonderful starting with our beautiful home we stayed in. It was clean, comfortable and the location was perfect.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joe S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing
Amazing host, amazing location, amazing place!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Roberta B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing Location
We loved the location. Walking distance to wonderful restaurants and the beach and the bus tour. The place was perfect for our group and we were well taken care of.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

THERESE C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Tranquil and relaxing place to stay
Shell cottage was a lovely place to stay. It had everything we needed and more. The rooms were all very comfortable and well equipped. The garden was a beautiful place to sit with your morning coffee and listen to the bird song and to relax with a glass in the evening. Housekeeping was excellent and the host was very accommodating
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jocelyn M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Camps bay
Great location, wonderful house very comfortable warm and inviting. Spotless and tidy. Highly recommend.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Thomas V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Excellen Saty
Near to all the action. Very convenient and comfortable. Privilege was very helpful. *******
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stephen M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful piece of paradise
Spent an amazing four days at the Shell cottage. Alia was so accommodating of our travel timeframe. Priviledge, who cares for the property is an angel!!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christine W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Shell Cottage
This is a perfect location and provides everything we needed for our Cape Town stay. Shell Cottage is a little gem and we recommend it 5* Privilege was helpful and looked after us 1st class.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Roderick Terner Forbes P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Rod Poole
Perfect position and place to stay
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

William J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Excellent location, surroundings and accomodation
This is a great find. If you get the chance to stay here it don't hesitate. From the local shops and bars (especially the Codfather) and Woolworths (not as we knew it in the UK, but more like a waitrose) it's perfect! The beach is only a 10 min walk away and Uber's into Capetown cost about £3, so no need to hire a car while you'rehere!
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Nancy L., San Francisco, United States

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing house in a lovely area
Everything was perfect- Property manager, amazing house keeper, beautiful garden, 2 blocks to the ocean. We’d love to come back soon!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Isabelle B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful cottage and garden near beach
Great communications with host, great care taken to make us all comfortable and welcome. Privilege took good care of us and always with a smile. We had a very comfortable stay in the middle of camps bay within easy reach of other attractions, beach, restaurants and supermarkets.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Paul H., Toronto

Unique cozy house in a wonderful neighbourhood.
The house was very comfortable for seven adults and had so much character. Great location close to Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Chapman’s Peak. Alia gave us lots of useful information for our stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ann E., Seabrook island, SC USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fabulous location and excellent VRBO Host.
Shell Cottage is a delightful property within a short walk to beach and many restaurants and shops in Camps Bay. Property is mature with lovely gardens and planting , comfortable furnishings. Alia may be THE best VRBO host we have ever had (3-4 rentals /year) - everything you could possibly need with prompt and helpful responses. Priviledge takes great care of you and her warm smile brightens every day. I highly recommend this location and absolutely wonderful accommodations.
Stayed 12 nights in Mar 2024
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Betsy M.

Beautiful Cottage, Great location
My family of 6 stayed here for a week and it was perfect. Beautiful home with great decor. Each bedroom has its own bath so it felt very private. We loved the outdoor living area and pool. Location is great, just a short walk to the beach and restaurants so our grown kids could go out on their own. Ali is a wonderful host and the house was clearned and spotless every day. We'd love to stay here again!

8/10 Good

Chloe B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing location but house itself if a little tired for the price.
I did not find Vrbo a reliable app to use. The payment platform failed for both of my transactions and did not send me payment reminders. Property host was fine but curt.
Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy
Location is wonderful
We really enjoyed our stay and couldn’t have picked a better location. The beach and Camp’s Bay waterfront were a short walk and it was an easy drive from the airport and to a lot of different sites. It was very nice to have a yard to relax in and the property is surrounded by a lot of vegetation so has a sense of privacy. Trade off for the convenient location is that the surrounding houses are very close. A house down the street had two dogs that barked incessantly and the next door neighbor was doing construction for part of our stay so we had that to listen to. We were out most days so didn’t really matter too much. The house is cute with kind of a funky beach vibe. We only used two of the bedrooms which were quite nice, the beds were comfortable and everything was very clean. It’s nice that every room has its own bathroom, although the back master bathroom toilet is very cramped, so much so that my boyfriend used a different toilet as he couldn’t shut the door of ours without banging his knees. Again, a trade off because it’s able to accommodate a lot of people in a not huge space. The host was very nice and communicative, I unfortunately missed in the house rules about a cash payment for late check in. We arrived around 9:30 pm, after 9 it’s a 700ZAR fee. We didn’t have that extra cash so had to hit an ATM, it would have been preferable to just be charged through VRBO, or even PayPal. Overall, it was lovely and we’d stay again!
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Olivia E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location
Stay at Shell Cottage
Shell Cottage is very well situated, only 2 minutes walk from the Beach and restaurants. The house is cozy and has a lot of charm! It is not very big but has anything you need! However, there is no shower in one of the bathrooms, only a bathtub with no shower head, the shower is outside (too cold) and the door is very hard to open. Our overall feeling was great, however, I feel like the house shall be renovated slightly to improve a few things (, shower in the bathroom, sofas on the verandah, timber flooring in dining makes a lot of noise, the two bedroom doors (leading to the dining) could be improved to reduce noise). Otherwise, I do recommend it!! Worth the price!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jeremy J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great oasis in a great location
4 of us stayed at the cottage, each with our own room and bathroom. What a great setup. We felt very safe and comfortable. Short walking distance to restaurants, groceries, and the beach. Once you enter the gate to the home, it is like you are in your own private garden oasis with great outdoor sitting areas and a pool. One bedroom had an outdoor shower that we used frequently. The kitchen had everything we needed including filtered water and a coffee maker. The Wi-Fi always worked and battery powered lights were provided for load shedding, which turned out to not be as big a deal as we thought it might be. The manager, Privledge, stopped by each day to clean and make sure we had everything we needed. What a great, kind person. This was our first time to South Africa and we had an absolute 5 star stay! We would recommend to anyone visiting Cape Town/Camps Bay.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Deborah, British Columbia, Canada

Eclectic Cottage centrally located in Camps Bay
The location of this cottage is hard to beat, with a short cut making it 2 minutes to the waterfront and beach. Camps Bay Seafront is teaming with great restaurants and coffee shops, a great place for a cocktail to watch the sunset. There is a Pick n Pay for groceries and soon to be a Woolworths Foods, you never have to leave Camps Bay (other than to buy alcohol). The cottage is historic and has been added to over time making it the 4 bedroom place it is today. The draw back is that the shape is unusual and the kitchen very small when you have a party of 7 in there. The plus is that there is plenty of privacy for a large group and having two sitting areas (one inside and one outside) also adds to the relaxing atmosphere. I would recommend this cottage as being a great place to stay, but would add that the pictures appear better than the place is in person. The garden has been allowed to go somewhat wild and its beauty would greatly improve from some serious clearing out of undergrowth and pruning. The furniture is also a little more tired in real life than in the pictures, but very comfortable. We also found that the outdoor shower was not really something that one wanted to use for a morning shower! The host is very responsive and certainly made us feel very welcome, her staff is well trained and the cottage very clean when we arrived.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Bill M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Disliked: Location
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

About the host

Hosted by Alia Preyer

Host profile image
I specialise in high end residential architecture and love to create homes that are a joy to live in. I purchased Shell Cottage in 2004 and have done extensive renovations, and continue to do so each year to make it better and better.

Because I own 4 other rental properties in Cape Town and Greece, and have renovated or built each one personally, and also had my own villa rental company, I believe I really do understand the needs of international travellers. I strive to make my guests' experience the absolute best it can be. After all, you've come all this way, and we want to you to love Shell Cottage and Cape Town, and come back again and again!

Why they chose this property

Simply this: everyone who stays here absolutely loves this house, and we love our guests. We treat them like VIPs, believe in generosity at all times, and are so happy that many of our guests return year after year.

What makes this property unique

So close to the beach yet so very private and serene, set in the most beautiful garden with lovely mountain views. Absolutely no traffic noise, very secluded, completely secure. A very happy home.

Languages:

English, French, Greek

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests