It is an exclusive residential area and is home to the most expensive real estate in South Africa,[2] with dwellings nestled on cliffs that have sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.

[3] Clifton was rated as one of the Top Ten Beaches by the cable and satellite television network Discovery Travel Channel in 2003 and 2004 and has received Blue Flag status.

[4] The beaches, which are named from 1st to 4th from north to south, are separated by groups of granite corestone boulders and have almost pure white quartzite sand.

The four beaches of Clifton are one of the few coastal areas of Cape Town well protected from the notorious south-easterly wind, which has a great deal to do with its popularity with bathers.

The small size of the properties on which bungalows are built between Fourth and Second beaches is attributable to the fact that the area was laid out by the City of Cape Town for returning soldiers who had fought in World War I.

By contrast, winter's north-west gales produce wind waves bringing a net inflow of surface-water into the bay, setting up a compensating outflow of water along the bottom.

This peculiarity often startles those unaccustomed to the regular cycle; during these periods, city officials have been known to petition to have sand dumped on the Clifton shore to rectify what they perceive as a defect.

Spence suffered significant trauma to the left side of his torso – with deep punctures and gouges back and front.

It details the original 1980s discovery of the José Paquete Africa and dramatizes the sinking event with historical accuracy.