6 Breathtaking Experiences You Must Have Just Outside Of Cape Town, South Africa

Situated on the southern most tip of the African continent, Cape Town and the surrounding area is one place I will never forget. As soon as we touched down, I knew this would be an exciting adventure. After spending an unforgettable week in Kruger National Park where we saw lions, rhino, cheetah, elephant and much more, we hoped on a 2 hour flight and headed south to the coastal city of Cape Town. As we flew over Ceres Mountain and Haweqwa Nature Reserve I soon realised that the city was ‘hugged’ by dramatic landscapes and breathtaking nature that got me itching to go explore, I was almost bouncing on my airplane seat in excitement! 🙂

How To Get Around?

While in Cape Town, we decided to rent a car from our hotel, which worked out about £20 a day. It was a good start to our adventure as the hotel offered us a brand new mini (which I have always wanted to drive). Being a ‘UK driver’ I found it relatively easy to navigate the roads, highways and junctions as South Arica drives on the left. Yay!

The only thing I would mention is that if you intend to visit some Vineyards, make sure to visit via a scheduled tour or private excursion (like we did) as you will get a little tipsy! *hic-up*

What Is There To See Around Cape Town

Take a look at some of the things we did while exploring the surrounding coastline, Cape Peninsular and Table Mountain National Park. There really is so much for you to see and do when you visit, with most being just outside the city limits.

1.) Go to the Top of Table Mountain

Table Mountain has to be on of South Africa’s most iconic natural beauties, its place – just a few miles from the city centre, means that it is within easy reach for anyone that is visiting the city. We decided to take the Cable Cars, which revolve and turn while heading to the top – this meant that everybody got at least one unrestricted viewing point. If you’re feeling a little more active, challenge yourself to a hike which takes around four hours. Just remember to start early in the morning to avoid the midday sun… oh, and of-course take lots of water.

If, like me, you find a few excuses to not take the hike, you can actually abseil down table mountain! it’s a perfect adrenaline fuelled activity that offers you a unique experience while visiting the national park.

2.) Explore the Western Coast of Cape Peninsular

Drive south for one hour or so and you can explore the rugged natural coastline of Cape Peninsular. We went around sunset and watched the most amazing sunset I think we’ve ever seen! It’s a beautiful drive and one that can easily be completed in six hours (with ice-cream stops of-course) 🙂

3.) Whale watch in Hermanus

Around a two to three hour drive from Cape Town, Hermanus is a pretty seaside town that is just west of Walkers Bay Nature Reserve. One thing that drives most visitors to this town is the whales that frequent its shorefront. Between August and November, literally hundreds of Southern Right Whales find their way to Walkers bay and within easy reach of the town itself.

4.) See Some Penguins

Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is about 50 minutes south east from Cape Town. With its sheltered bay, sandy beaches and stringent regulations on over fishing in False bay, the endangered African penguins have returned in their thousands. It costs around £3 (4 Euro, $5USD) to enter this protected beach and its well worth a visit.

With the money from admissions, the local governing body has been able to build wooden walkways so that visitors can safely view the breeding grounds that surround the beach itself. It’s a lovely sight.

5.) Take a dip at Muizenburg beach

Famous for its white sandy beaches and colourful beach huts, Muizenburg is a great place to enjoy the picturesque beauty of the South African coastline, with some really great restaurants that line the shore.

6.) Visit an amazing Vineyard

On our drive back from Hermanus, we decided to make a stop at Creations Vineyard that had been recommended to us. South Africa is prized for its wine regions with many to choose from. We knew we wanted to visit a smaller, locally owned, vineyard and Creations was just that. We tried every single wine on their menu.. which left for a rather dizzy ride back to Cape Town (thankfully, we didn’t have to drive).

Below is my half filled in sheet of wines I had tried.. after five glasses, I gave up and just focused on the hard work of sipping some amazing wines. 🙂