Best Beaches In & Near Durban
Situated on South Africa's east coast, Durban is the country's third biggest city. Buzzing and cosmopolitan this seaside city is perhaps best known for its amazing sandy beaches.
Bordering the tropics, Durban has great year round weather. Add to this the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and some sub-tropical sunshine, and you have a beach-lovers paradise.
Attracting visitors from both home and abroad, the jewel in Durban's crown is the "Golden Mile", a stretch of some of the best city beaches you will find anywhere. Reaching from uShaka Beach to the Suncoast Casino, the fine golden sand beaches are backed by a wide promenade.
A host of Blue Flag awards testify to the quality of Durban's beaches and are also assurance of great facilities and safety. With lifeguards on duty year-round and protective shark nets these are beaches for the whole family to enjoy.
Durban is also a truly world class surf destination with North Beach throwing up some of the best waves on the planet. And you don't have to be a pro to have fun here – the more sheltered South Beach is a great spot for beginners.
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1. Durban North Beach
© Michael Jung Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
Set to the North of the harbour (hence the North bit) running from the Bay of Plenty and Dairy Beach is Durban's North Beach. The beach sits at the heart of the much redeveloped Durban beach-front which is aptly named "Golden Mile" or "Durbs by the sea" as some locals call it. Development of the Golden Mile began back in the 1970s when it became one of the country's biggest… read more »
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2. South Beach
© ilf_ Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
Situated on Durban's famed "Golden Mile", South Beach sits to the south of the city centre about halfway between the surfing mecca of North Beach and Ushaka. As with other beaches in Durban South Beach has golden sands and warm blue waters that are a magnet to beachgoers, swimmers, and surfers alike. The beach is protected by shark nets and lifeguards, so people can swim without worrying about… read more »
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3. Addington Beach
© South African Tourism / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
With a prime location on Durban's Golden Mile next to uShaka Marine World theme park, and just ten minutes from the buzzing restaurants and bars of the city's central business district, Addington Beach is as easy to reach as it is to fall in love with.
Here you'll find a large flat expanse of richly-coloured sand running alongside the warm waters of South Africa's Indian Ocean coastline. The shallow entry… read more »
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4. uShaka Beach
© Diriye Amey / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
With a fine location at the southern end of Durban's Golden Mile of beaches, uShaka Beach on the Point Waterfront is a relatively sheltered stretch of glorious golden sands with direct access to the uShaka Marine World theme park that backs on to it.
Technically one of the free to access parts of the park, uShaka Beach is also one of Durban's family-friendly beaches. It boasts a whole series… read more »
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5. Anstey's Beach
© dual / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
Situated on the Bluff in Durban, the high-end area south of the city's main beaches, Ansteys Beach lies close to Cave Rock, home to the barrelling wave that has entered the folklore of surfing communities around the world.
Clean and unspoilt, the sand here is comparable in allure to that anywhere else along the Durban coast, while its Indian Ocean waters provide a heady mix of warmth, waves, and water sports,… read more »
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6. Brighton Beach
© chrisvanlennephoto Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
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7. Umhlanga
Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
Set on KwaZulu-Natal's Sugar Coast, just north of Durban is the buzzing resort town of Umhlanga. With the golden sand of the beach meeting the warm waters of the Indian Ocean it is little wonder the beachfront here has become home to a number of luxury hotels and apartments. Some of these actually predate the resort; the Oyster Box, a luxury hotel was originally a beach cottage around which the… read more »
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8. Umdloti Beach
© Ossewa / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 0.5 hrs
Umdloti Beach lies a short distance north of the South African city of Durban, close enough to be incorporated into the Greater Durban Metropolitan Municipality of eThekwini. Making the most of the area's warm Indian Ocean waters, Umdloti Beach is also situated at the mouth of the Mdloti River, from which the beach garners its name, and is surrounded by native sub-tropical flora and the neat rows of sugar cane… read more »
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9. Park Rynie Beach
© Anthony Webb / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 1 hr
Found on South Africa's southern stretch of Indian Ocean coastline, on what has been designated the Umdoni Coast in KwaZulu-Natal, Park Rynie Beach is such a beautiful destination that a small resort town has developed around it.
One of the region's more rugged beaches, Park Rynie Beach is a blend of rock pools and good quality sand, with the rocks often separating the sand from the ocean. There number below the… read more »
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10. Salt Rock Beach
© HelenSTB / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 1 hr
Situated on the soft sands and warm waters of KwaZulu-Natal's Dolphin Coast, part of South Africa's Indian Ocean coastline, Salt Rock Beach is the main beach in a town of the same name. It's just 20 minutes' drive from Durban's King Shaka International Airport.
Both wide and long, this family-friendly beach is suitable for swimming, as well as past times including surfing and stand-up paddleboarding. Salt Rock Beach's safety is… read more »
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11. Scottburgh Beach
© Ossewa / CC BY Travel time from Durban: approx 1 hr
Scottburgh Beach lies on a curved bay of KwaZulu-Natal province's South Coast region. It is reached via a footpath that runs across an area of grass perfect for games or for sitting down to a picnic. Its position on the south bank of the Mpambanyoni River as it exits the Indian Ocean means visitors are able to enjoy not only the ocean waves but also a quiet lagoon. What's more,… read more »
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More beaches near Durban
South Africa Regions
South Africa Coast
- Durban
- Cape Town
- Plettenberg Bay
- East London
- Saldanha
- Knysna
- Port Shepstone
- Margate
- Hermanus
- Scottburgh
