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Tours in Cape Town |
Table Mountain
Cape Town's defining landmark is also one of the city's greatest tourist attractions. A cable car trip to the 1,086m (3,563ft) summit of Table Mountain takes just 6 minutes and the state-of-the-art gondola (one of just three of its kind in the world) rotates through 360 degrees on the way up (booking is advisable during summer). The cable car operates weather permitting; it's always a good idea to phone ahead on the recorded information line to get up-to-date information on cable car status, weather conditions and temperatures at the top of the mountain. Once there, more than 2km (1.2 miles) of pathways lead walkers over the massif, with breathtaking views of the city and ocean below. A bistro, perched right on the summit, is by far the most incredible sundowner spot in Africa.
A popular option is for day-trippers to take a one-way ticket up and then climb down Platteklip Gorge - although visitors should take care. The local Mountain Rescue teams (tel: (021) 948 9900 or 107 in an emergency) carry out over 100 rescues a year, many involving foreign tourists. The routes up and down the mountain are treacherous and sheer cliff faces with buffeting winds are a very real danger. Peering over the edge of the mountain, no matter how tempting, is simply not a good idea. The signposts warning of restricted areas must be observed at all costs. Furthermore, the weather can change in a matter of minutes and mist and darkness descend very quickly. Hikers should carry water, food, sunblock, a silver ‘space blanket' to prevent hypothermia and a mobile phone. It is also best to hike in a sizeable group, as there have been muggings on the mountain.
For the wary wanderer, High Adventure Africa (tel: (021) 689 1234; website: www.highadventure.co.za) offers guided hikes up the mountain.
Tafelberg Road (lower cable station)
Tel: (021) 424 0015 or 8181 (recorded information).
Website: www.tablemountain.net
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2200 (Dec-Jan); daily 0830-0830 (Feb-Mar); daily 0830-1830 (Apr); daily 0830-1800 (May-mid-Sep); daily 0830-1900 (mid-Sep-Oct); 0830-2000 (Nov).
Admission charge.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The creation of this waterfront, known as the V&A Waterfront, was possibly Cape Town's best commercial idea, transforming a rundown harbour area into a booming centre of tourism, culture, leisure and business. It's currently being considerably expanded and the area is now the most visited spot in the city, attracting over 10 million international tourists each year. Renovated Victorian warehouses, offices and buildings created in the Victorian vernacular style, and many dozens of cafés and restaurants complete this waterside area and working harbour. A host of boat and yacht charter operations tout for business and it is worth taking one of the many cruises around the docks (see Tours of the City).
The Waterfront is also home to the world-class Two Oceans Aquarium. Feeding in the huge predator tanks takes place daily at 1500 and should not be missed. Aquarium dives can also be arranged. Then, with over 250 retail outlets, with another 70 being built, the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre is another premier attraction. The Waterfront Trading Company and the Red Shed Craft Workshop supply local arts and crafts, while, in summer, various music acts perform at the open-air ampitheatre.
The Clock Tower Precinct is the departure point for the Robben Island ferry and is also packed with shops, bars and restaurants, and has a tourist office and an office for South African National Parks. During the initial construction of the area, the ruins of the Dutch East India Military installation, dating back to between 1715 and 1726, were discovered and are now on show to the public. The Waterfront Canal, linking the Waterfront and the Cape Town International Convention Centre and passing through a residential marina, opened in June 2003. Word on the quay is that a new luxury hotel is planned for the area around the vast New Basin, adjacent to the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Dock Road, off Coen Steytler Avenue, Beach or Portswood Road, or Ebenezer Road, off the Western Boulevard
Tel: (021) 408 7600.
Website: www.waterfront.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours; shops are open daily 0900-2100.
Free admission.
Two Oceans Aquarium
Dock Road
Tel: (021) 418 3823.
Website: www.aquarium.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800.
Admission charge.
Robben Island
Visiting Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 12km (7.5 miles) from Cape Town in Table Bay, is one of the most profoundly moving experiences to be had in South Africa. The infamous men-only prison and former leper colony was home to a generation of the senior statesmen of Africa, incarcerated because of their political beliefs. The most famous inmate was, of course, Nelson Mandela, who spent 18 years of his 27-year sentence here. The daily Robben Island Tour leaves from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront Clock Tower Precinct. Once on the island, guided tours are all given by former political prisoners here, while the first-class museum situated in the old prison buildings offers a wealth of information on this period of South Africa's history. There is more to Robben Island than politics and history, however. The physical beauty of the island itself is magnificent, with penguin and seal colonies, as well as the fantastic view of Cape Town. This is a very popular excursion, so book well in advance.
Nelson Mandela Gateway and Robben Island
Tel: (021) 413 4200 or 409 5100.
Website: www.robben-island.org.za
Opening hours: Ferries depart daily 0900-1500 on the hour (weather permitting). The complete tour takes 3 hours 30 minutes.
Admission charge.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Sprawling over a magnificent 528 hectares (1,325 acres) and home to 5,000 indigenous plant species, Kirstenbosch is rated one of the top seven botanical gardens in the world. With stunningly beautiful formal gardens dotted with African stone sculptures, Kirstenbosch is a delightful place for a picnic, a stroll or even an energetic hike through the natural fynbos (indigenous and unique to the Western Cape) and forest on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. Attractions include a forest trail for the blind, a protea garden, a water-wise garden, a useful plants garden and a fragrance garden, as well as a cycad amphitheatre, a glasshouse complete with baobab tree, an authentic African mud hut, a gift shop, garden centre, bookshop, restaurants and café. Over the summer months (December to March), immensely popular Sunset Concerts are held on Sunday afternoons at 1730, with music that ranges from classical to jazz, African traditional and rock and pop. Before Christmas, there are carols by candlelight events.
Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Tel: (021) 799 8783.
Website: www.kirstenbosch.co.za or www.sanbi.org
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1900 (Sep-Mar); daily 0800-1800 (Apr-Aug).
Admission charge.
Company Gardens
Jan van Riebeek (the first commander of the Dutch colony at the Cape) ordered the planting of Company Gardens in 1652, to serve as a fruit and vegetable supply for the visiting ships, to protect the sailors against scurvy. Nowadays, the gardens are a green lung for the city centre. The park is not just a botanical delight but is also home to St George's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, the South African National Gallery, the South African Museum and Planetarium and the Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre.
The Anglican St George's Cathedral has been in existence for over 100 years but is also a potent symbol of anti-apartheid resistance. It has been the site of many a political rally in the past and, until 1996, Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu was archbishop here.
The Houses of Parliament, which flank the eastern edge of the gardens, are a blend of Georgian and Victorian styles of architecture. Designed by the British architect Harry Greaves, they were completed in 1885 when the parliament became the seat of British expansion into Africa. The building is also an important stop on the political tourist's itinerary. This is where the ‘architect of apartheid', prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd, was assassinated in 1966. It is also where Nelson Mandela gave his inaugural speech as president of the ‘new South Africa' in 1994.
The South African National Gallery contains one of the finest collections of South African and international art in the country and has regular exhibitions of work from around the world. The South African Museum is an excellent place for visitors to spend a couple of hours learning about the natural and political history of South Africa. It also boasts the oldest African artworks, the Lydenburg Heads, which date back to 500BC, as well as a superb whale exhibit and a shop, located on Orange Street. In the Planetarium, the real-time night sky displays are an entrancing introduction to the stellar delights of Southern Africa. The Jewish Museum, housed in a modern granite complex, covers the history of immigrant Jews from Eastern Europe to South Africa and displays include religious art, a stain glass window depicting the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, and a reconstruction of a Lithuanian village. The adjoining and moving Holocaust Centre tells the story, in multimedia format using videos, photography and personal recordings of survivors, of the Nazi occupation of Germany in the WWII. Towards the end it draws comparisons to some aspects of apartheid by looking at the consequences of racism and oppression, and there are video interviews of Jews who moved to Cape Town to escape Nazi Germany. Government Avenue (between Wale Street and Orange Street), Gardens
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Free admission.
South African National Gallery
Government Avenue
Tel: (021) 467 4660.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/sang
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
South African Museum
25 Queen Victoria Street
Tel: (021) 481 3800.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/sam
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge; free Sun.
Planetarium
25 Queen Victoria Street
Tel: (021) 481 3900.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/planetarium
Opening hours: Shows Mon-Fri 1400 (excluding first Mon of the month), Tues 2000, Sat and Sun 1200, 1300 and 1430.
Admission charge. Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre88 Hatfield StreetTel: (021) 465 1546.Website: www.sajewishmuseum.co.za or www.ctholocaust.co.zaOpening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1700, Fri 1000-1400.Admission charge.
Koopmans De Wet House
Built in 1701, Koopmans De Wet House reflects patrician life at the Cape in the 18th century. Designed in the distinctive ‘Cape Dutch' architectural style (a style repeated in many of the grand manor houses on rural estates and recognisable by curly gables) the house is also furnished with fine examples of Cape craftsmanship. Many of these hand-carved items of furniture were designed by slave fundis or experts from the East, as was the unique decorative plasterwork on the exterior of this and other buildings. The quiet, cool and darkened interior is also a tranquil retreat from the bustle and heat of the city centre.
35 Strand Street
Tel: (021) 481 3935.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/koopmans
Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 0930-1600.
Admission charge.
Beaches
Cape Town boasts some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. With a long summer and balmy winter days in between the rain, these are an irresistible attraction all year round. There is a beach to suit just about every taste - from the trendy spots, where tanned bikini bodies are the order of the day, via the more family orientated, easy-swim sites, to wild and rugged sundowner spots. Beaches are overseen by the Table Mountain National Park.
Set along the stunning panorama of the Twelve Apostles mountain range, beaches on the Atlantic seaboard are several degrees colder than those on the False Bay side, which are warmed slightly by the L'Agulhas current that flows up from Cape Agulhas further around the coast, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.
Despite being too cold to swim, the beaches on the Atlantic seaboard are hugely popular and real estate here is hot property - the stretch of mansions that lines the coast is known as Millionaire's Row. The suburb of Clifton has four beaches, one of which, Fourth Beach, is Cape Town's premier beach spot and the preferred place for the beautiful people to pose. All four beaches, however, are often overcrowded in the peak summer months and parking on Victoria Road above the beach is virtually impossible. An alternative, with a California feel and a vibey row of restaurants and bars close at hand, is nearby Camps Bay, where the dazzling swathe of beach has been awarded a Blue Flag. Further out is the favourite sundowner spot, Llandudno, and the homely Hout Bay. The Mariner's Wharf fishing harbour next to Hout Bay's beach (tel: (021) 790 1100; website: www.marinerswharf.com) offers great seafood restaurants, markets, gift shops, boat trips to see the local Cape fur seal colony and a fish market selling live lobsters by the kilo, as well as the Cape speciality, smoked snoek. Noordhoek and Kommetjie, both part of Long Beach, are accessible via the Chapman's Peak Drive toll road. These far-flung beaches are still quite deserted and Noordhoek can be dangerous for lone walkers, particularly after dark.
False Bay offers its own set of coastal delights, quite different from the chilly counterparts on the Atlantic side. With warmer waters, the stretch of Muizenberg beach and little coves and inlets of Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek offers delightful swimming, with smaller waves and a family feel. Formerly a whaling station and a prisoner of war camp, Boulders has a string of delightful coves that are always sheltered from the frequent and blustering ‘southeaster' wind. However, visitors to Boulders will have to share their beach with quite a crowd... of African Penguins. The colony of penguins is protected and although these patient birds are happy to pose for photographs, there is a hefty fine for ‘wilfully disturbing' them. They can also bite - so birdwatchers are therefore encouraged to admire them from a respectful distance. Boulders is just as popular with humans as it is with penguins, so sun-seekers should be sure to arrive early in order to stake their claim to a piece of beach, boardwalk or boulder.
When not taking on the might of Cape Point's wind ravaged coastline or enjoying the consistently good waves of Long Beach, surfers mainly head north for Table Bay and the beaches of Blouberg Strand, Dolphin Beach and Milnerton, where the incessant wind promises big waves and the location offers incredible views of Table Mountain.
Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno, access from Victoria Road (M6)
Hout Bay Beach and Mariner's Wharf, North Shore Road or Beach Road, Hout Bay
Noordhoek, Silvermine Road via Ou Kaapse Weg, Noordhoek
Kommetjie, Kommetjie Road (M65), Kommetjie
Muizenberg, Baden-Powell Drive, Muizenberg
Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek, off Main Road (M4)
Boulders Beach, Miller's Point Road, from Main Road (M4), Simonstown/Miller's Point
Cape Point beaches, several roads off Cape Point Road
Blouberg Strand and Dolphin Beach, Otto Du Plessis Road, Blouberg
Milnerton, Marine Drive and Otto Du Plessis, Milnerton
Tel: (021) 701 8692 (Table Mountain National Park) or (021) 786 2329 (Boulders) or (021) 780 9204/9001 (Cape Point). Website: www.sanparks.org or www.capepoint.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours; daily 0800-1730 (Boulders); daily 0600-1800 (Sep-Apr), daily 0700-1700 (May-Aug) (Cape Point).
Free admission; charge for Boulders and Cape Point.
Cape Town's defining landmark is also one of the city's greatest tourist attractions. A cable car trip to the 1,086m (3,563ft) summit of Table Mountain takes just 6 minutes and the state-of-the-art gondola (one of just three of its kind in the world) rotates through 360 degrees on the way up (booking is advisable during summer). The cable car operates weather permitting; it's always a good idea to phone ahead on the recorded information line to get up-to-date information on cable car status, weather conditions and temperatures at the top of the mountain. Once there, more than 2km (1.2 miles) of pathways lead walkers over the massif, with breathtaking views of the city and ocean below. A bistro, perched right on the summit, is by far the most incredible sundowner spot in Africa.
A popular option is for day-trippers to take a one-way ticket up and then climb down Platteklip Gorge - although visitors should take care. The local Mountain Rescue teams (tel: (021) 948 9900 or 107 in an emergency) carry out over 100 rescues a year, many involving foreign tourists. The routes up and down the mountain are treacherous and sheer cliff faces with buffeting winds are a very real danger. Peering over the edge of the mountain, no matter how tempting, is simply not a good idea. The signposts warning of restricted areas must be observed at all costs. Furthermore, the weather can change in a matter of minutes and mist and darkness descend very quickly. Hikers should carry water, food, sunblock, a silver ‘space blanket' to prevent hypothermia and a mobile phone. It is also best to hike in a sizeable group, as there have been muggings on the mountain.
For the wary wanderer, High Adventure Africa (tel: (021) 689 1234; website: www.highadventure.co.za) offers guided hikes up the mountain.
Tafelberg Road (lower cable station)
Tel: (021) 424 0015 or 8181 (recorded information).
Website: www.tablemountain.net
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2200 (Dec-Jan); daily 0830-0830 (Feb-Mar); daily 0830-1830 (Apr); daily 0830-1800 (May-mid-Sep); daily 0830-1900 (mid-Sep-Oct); 0830-2000 (Nov).
Admission charge.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The creation of this waterfront, known as the V&A Waterfront, was possibly Cape Town's best commercial idea, transforming a rundown harbour area into a booming centre of tourism, culture, leisure and business. It's currently being considerably expanded and the area is now the most visited spot in the city, attracting over 10 million international tourists each year. Renovated Victorian warehouses, offices and buildings created in the Victorian vernacular style, and many dozens of cafés and restaurants complete this waterside area and working harbour. A host of boat and yacht charter operations tout for business and it is worth taking one of the many cruises around the docks (see Tours of the City).
The Waterfront is also home to the world-class Two Oceans Aquarium. Feeding in the huge predator tanks takes place daily at 1500 and should not be missed. Aquarium dives can also be arranged. Then, with over 250 retail outlets, with another 70 being built, the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre is another premier attraction. The Waterfront Trading Company and the Red Shed Craft Workshop supply local arts and crafts, while, in summer, various music acts perform at the open-air ampitheatre.
The Clock Tower Precinct is the departure point for the Robben Island ferry and is also packed with shops, bars and restaurants, and has a tourist office and an office for South African National Parks. During the initial construction of the area, the ruins of the Dutch East India Military installation, dating back to between 1715 and 1726, were discovered and are now on show to the public. The Waterfront Canal, linking the Waterfront and the Cape Town International Convention Centre and passing through a residential marina, opened in June 2003. Word on the quay is that a new luxury hotel is planned for the area around the vast New Basin, adjacent to the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Dock Road, off Coen Steytler Avenue, Beach or Portswood Road, or Ebenezer Road, off the Western Boulevard
Tel: (021) 408 7600.
Website: www.waterfront.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours; shops are open daily 0900-2100.
Free admission.
Two Oceans Aquarium
Dock Road
Tel: (021) 418 3823.
Website: www.aquarium.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800.
Admission charge.
Robben Island
Visiting Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 12km (7.5 miles) from Cape Town in Table Bay, is one of the most profoundly moving experiences to be had in South Africa. The infamous men-only prison and former leper colony was home to a generation of the senior statesmen of Africa, incarcerated because of their political beliefs. The most famous inmate was, of course, Nelson Mandela, who spent 18 years of his 27-year sentence here. The daily Robben Island Tour leaves from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront Clock Tower Precinct. Once on the island, guided tours are all given by former political prisoners here, while the first-class museum situated in the old prison buildings offers a wealth of information on this period of South Africa's history. There is more to Robben Island than politics and history, however. The physical beauty of the island itself is magnificent, with penguin and seal colonies, as well as the fantastic view of Cape Town. This is a very popular excursion, so book well in advance.
Nelson Mandela Gateway and Robben Island
Tel: (021) 413 4200 or 409 5100.
Website: www.robben-island.org.za
Opening hours: Ferries depart daily 0900-1500 on the hour (weather permitting). The complete tour takes 3 hours 30 minutes.
Admission charge.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Sprawling over a magnificent 528 hectares (1,325 acres) and home to 5,000 indigenous plant species, Kirstenbosch is rated one of the top seven botanical gardens in the world. With stunningly beautiful formal gardens dotted with African stone sculptures, Kirstenbosch is a delightful place for a picnic, a stroll or even an energetic hike through the natural fynbos (indigenous and unique to the Western Cape) and forest on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. Attractions include a forest trail for the blind, a protea garden, a water-wise garden, a useful plants garden and a fragrance garden, as well as a cycad amphitheatre, a glasshouse complete with baobab tree, an authentic African mud hut, a gift shop, garden centre, bookshop, restaurants and café. Over the summer months (December to March), immensely popular Sunset Concerts are held on Sunday afternoons at 1730, with music that ranges from classical to jazz, African traditional and rock and pop. Before Christmas, there are carols by candlelight events.
Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Tel: (021) 799 8783.
Website: www.kirstenbosch.co.za or www.sanbi.org
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1900 (Sep-Mar); daily 0800-1800 (Apr-Aug).
Admission charge.
Company Gardens
Jan van Riebeek (the first commander of the Dutch colony at the Cape) ordered the planting of Company Gardens in 1652, to serve as a fruit and vegetable supply for the visiting ships, to protect the sailors against scurvy. Nowadays, the gardens are a green lung for the city centre. The park is not just a botanical delight but is also home to St George's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, the South African National Gallery, the South African Museum and Planetarium and the Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre.
The Anglican St George's Cathedral has been in existence for over 100 years but is also a potent symbol of anti-apartheid resistance. It has been the site of many a political rally in the past and, until 1996, Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu was archbishop here.
The Houses of Parliament, which flank the eastern edge of the gardens, are a blend of Georgian and Victorian styles of architecture. Designed by the British architect Harry Greaves, they were completed in 1885 when the parliament became the seat of British expansion into Africa. The building is also an important stop on the political tourist's itinerary. This is where the ‘architect of apartheid', prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd, was assassinated in 1966. It is also where Nelson Mandela gave his inaugural speech as president of the ‘new South Africa' in 1994.
The South African National Gallery contains one of the finest collections of South African and international art in the country and has regular exhibitions of work from around the world. The South African Museum is an excellent place for visitors to spend a couple of hours learning about the natural and political history of South Africa. It also boasts the oldest African artworks, the Lydenburg Heads, which date back to 500BC, as well as a superb whale exhibit and a shop, located on Orange Street. In the Planetarium, the real-time night sky displays are an entrancing introduction to the stellar delights of Southern Africa. The Jewish Museum, housed in a modern granite complex, covers the history of immigrant Jews from Eastern Europe to South Africa and displays include religious art, a stain glass window depicting the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, and a reconstruction of a Lithuanian village. The adjoining and moving Holocaust Centre tells the story, in multimedia format using videos, photography and personal recordings of survivors, of the Nazi occupation of Germany in the WWII. Towards the end it draws comparisons to some aspects of apartheid by looking at the consequences of racism and oppression, and there are video interviews of Jews who moved to Cape Town to escape Nazi Germany. Government Avenue (between Wale Street and Orange Street), Gardens
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Free admission.
South African National Gallery
Government Avenue
Tel: (021) 467 4660.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/sang
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
South African Museum
25 Queen Victoria Street
Tel: (021) 481 3800.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/sam
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge; free Sun.
Planetarium
25 Queen Victoria Street
Tel: (021) 481 3900.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/planetarium
Opening hours: Shows Mon-Fri 1400 (excluding first Mon of the month), Tues 2000, Sat and Sun 1200, 1300 and 1430.
Admission charge. Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre88 Hatfield StreetTel: (021) 465 1546.Website: www.sajewishmuseum.co.za or www.ctholocaust.co.zaOpening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1700, Fri 1000-1400.Admission charge.
Koopmans De Wet House
Built in 1701, Koopmans De Wet House reflects patrician life at the Cape in the 18th century. Designed in the distinctive ‘Cape Dutch' architectural style (a style repeated in many of the grand manor houses on rural estates and recognisable by curly gables) the house is also furnished with fine examples of Cape craftsmanship. Many of these hand-carved items of furniture were designed by slave fundis or experts from the East, as was the unique decorative plasterwork on the exterior of this and other buildings. The quiet, cool and darkened interior is also a tranquil retreat from the bustle and heat of the city centre.
35 Strand Street
Tel: (021) 481 3935.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/koopmans
Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 0930-1600.
Admission charge.
Beaches
Cape Town boasts some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. With a long summer and balmy winter days in between the rain, these are an irresistible attraction all year round. There is a beach to suit just about every taste - from the trendy spots, where tanned bikini bodies are the order of the day, via the more family orientated, easy-swim sites, to wild and rugged sundowner spots. Beaches are overseen by the Table Mountain National Park.
Set along the stunning panorama of the Twelve Apostles mountain range, beaches on the Atlantic seaboard are several degrees colder than those on the False Bay side, which are warmed slightly by the L'Agulhas current that flows up from Cape Agulhas further around the coast, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.
Despite being too cold to swim, the beaches on the Atlantic seaboard are hugely popular and real estate here is hot property - the stretch of mansions that lines the coast is known as Millionaire's Row. The suburb of Clifton has four beaches, one of which, Fourth Beach, is Cape Town's premier beach spot and the preferred place for the beautiful people to pose. All four beaches, however, are often overcrowded in the peak summer months and parking on Victoria Road above the beach is virtually impossible. An alternative, with a California feel and a vibey row of restaurants and bars close at hand, is nearby Camps Bay, where the dazzling swathe of beach has been awarded a Blue Flag. Further out is the favourite sundowner spot, Llandudno, and the homely Hout Bay. The Mariner's Wharf fishing harbour next to Hout Bay's beach (tel: (021) 790 1100; website: www.marinerswharf.com) offers great seafood restaurants, markets, gift shops, boat trips to see the local Cape fur seal colony and a fish market selling live lobsters by the kilo, as well as the Cape speciality, smoked snoek. Noordhoek and Kommetjie, both part of Long Beach, are accessible via the Chapman's Peak Drive toll road. These far-flung beaches are still quite deserted and Noordhoek can be dangerous for lone walkers, particularly after dark.
False Bay offers its own set of coastal delights, quite different from the chilly counterparts on the Atlantic side. With warmer waters, the stretch of Muizenberg beach and little coves and inlets of Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek offers delightful swimming, with smaller waves and a family feel. Formerly a whaling station and a prisoner of war camp, Boulders has a string of delightful coves that are always sheltered from the frequent and blustering ‘southeaster' wind. However, visitors to Boulders will have to share their beach with quite a crowd... of African Penguins. The colony of penguins is protected and although these patient birds are happy to pose for photographs, there is a hefty fine for ‘wilfully disturbing' them. They can also bite - so birdwatchers are therefore encouraged to admire them from a respectful distance. Boulders is just as popular with humans as it is with penguins, so sun-seekers should be sure to arrive early in order to stake their claim to a piece of beach, boardwalk or boulder.
When not taking on the might of Cape Point's wind ravaged coastline or enjoying the consistently good waves of Long Beach, surfers mainly head north for Table Bay and the beaches of Blouberg Strand, Dolphin Beach and Milnerton, where the incessant wind promises big waves and the location offers incredible views of Table Mountain.
Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno, access from Victoria Road (M6)
Hout Bay Beach and Mariner's Wharf, North Shore Road or Beach Road, Hout Bay
Noordhoek, Silvermine Road via Ou Kaapse Weg, Noordhoek
Kommetjie, Kommetjie Road (M65), Kommetjie
Muizenberg, Baden-Powell Drive, Muizenberg
Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek, off Main Road (M4)
Boulders Beach, Miller's Point Road, from Main Road (M4), Simonstown/Miller's Point
Cape Point beaches, several roads off Cape Point Road
Blouberg Strand and Dolphin Beach, Otto Du Plessis Road, Blouberg
Milnerton, Marine Drive and Otto Du Plessis, Milnerton
Tel: (021) 701 8692 (Table Mountain National Park) or (021) 786 2329 (Boulders) or (021) 780 9204/9001 (Cape Point). Website: www.sanparks.org or www.capepoint.co.za
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours; daily 0800-1730 (Boulders); daily 0600-1800 (Sep-Apr), daily 0700-1700 (May-Aug) (Cape Point).
Free admission; charge for Boulders and Cape Point.
View Our Airport Guides for Cape Town:
Cape Town International Airport
