Port Owen Marina

You stay at Port Owen Marina in a self-catering apartment beside the Berg River near Velddrif, a hundred and fifty kilometres from Cape Town. The marina gives direct jetty access for boats, and the river is wide enough for paddling or fishing from the bank. Apartments have kitchens with washing machines and dishwashers, and most open onto patios with braai grills.

The resort keeps an outdoor pool, an adventure golf course, and bicycles to hire for riding along the riverbank. A children's club runs activities with a mascot called Fred — games, dances, and story times — while adults fish from the jetty or take canoes onto the water. The Berg River draws birdlife, and the flats are stocked for anglers.

Velddrif is a working fishing town with salt pans and seafood restaurants a short drive away. The marina itself is quiet, built for mornings with coffee on the jetty and afternoons by the pool. Trains from Cape Town stop at Velddrif station, though most guests arrive by car.