Seven places worth visiting around Cape Town
Cape Town becomes even more enticing when you look beyond the city centre.
Cape Town has a habit of making travellers greedy. You arrive thinking you will spend your days between Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and a few good restaurants. Then somebody mentions a penguin beach, a wine valley, a whale-watching town or a national park on the edge of the Atlantic, and suddenly your carefully planned itinerary needs another week.
The beauty of Cape Town is that some of its best experiences lie beyond the city itself. With a car and a little curiosity, the surrounding region becomes part of the holiday.
1. Cape Point
Drive south along the Cape Peninsula and the urban landscape gradually gives way to fynbos, cliffs and ocean. Cape Point lies within Table Mountain National Park and offers walking trails, beaches, wildlife and the historic lighthouse. The Flying Dutchman Funicular provides an easier route to the upper viewpoint. The journey is almost as enjoyable as the destination, particularly along the coastal road through Simon’s Town and the villages of the peninsula.
2. Boulders Beach
Near Simon’s Town, Boulders Beach is home to a colony of African penguins. Boardwalks allow visitors to watch the birds without disturbing them, while the surrounding coastline makes this an easy stop on a Cape Peninsula day.
It is difficult to remain entirely serious while watching a penguin march purposefully towards the sea.
3. Stellenbosch
Around 50 kilometres east of Cape Town, Stellenbosch brings together vineyards, Cape Dutch architecture, restaurants, galleries and the dramatic Jonkershoek valley.
It is South Africa’s second-oldest town and one of the country's great food and wine destinations. A slow afternoon here feels very different from a city sightseeing schedule.
4. Franschhoek
Continue through the Winelands, and you reach Franschhoek, famous for its French Huguenot heritage, wine farms and restaurants. The Franschhoek Wine Tram provides a particularly relaxed way to explore several estates without worrying about driving between tastings.
5. Hermanus
About 120 kilometres from Cape Town, Hermanus overlooks Walker Bay and is particularly famous for land-based southern right whale watching during the winter and spring months. Even outside whale season, the cliff paths, beaches, galleries and restaurants make it worth the drive.
6. West Coast National Park
About 120 kilometres from Cape Town, West Coast National Park is a completely different landscape. The Langebaan Lagoon, white beaches and open coastal plains offer excellent birding, wildlife viewing and peaceful walks. Come in spring and the surrounding landscape can erupt into colour as seasonal wildflowers bloom.
7. Constantia
You do not always have to leave the city to feel far away. Constantia is a short drive from central Cape Town and combines historic wine estates, leafy avenues, restaurants and mountain scenery.
Groot Constantia, South Africa’s oldest wine-producing farm, makes an especially atmospheric stop. The city may be the starting point, but the surrounding peninsula, mountains, vineyards and coastline are where the story gets considerably bigger.
Anchen Coetzee
Liz Thorne
Naomi Roebert
Lynette Spencer
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