What To Do In Cape Town, South Africa?

As the largest city with the second largest population in South Africa, Cape Town is known for having many attractive travel destinations, especially Table Mountain - God's dining table that attracts tourists from all over the world. Cape Town is also in the top 100 most beautiful cities in the world with its wild and modern natural beauty, worthy of being the most fertile land in Africa. Cape Town is the capital of the Western Cape province, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa.

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and warms to hot, dry summers. Winter usually lasts from June to August, the highest temperature is about 18 degrees and the lowest is about 8.5 degrees. Summer starts from September to March, the highest temperature is 26 degrees and the lowest is 16 degrees. Therefore, these two times are the best for you to arrive in Cape Town.

Whether it’s the extremely attractive scene, unique culinary culture, or shopping paradise you’re after, these are the things you must not miss in Cape Town.

Planning a trip to the Table Mountain

Less than a 10-minute drive from the city, Table Mountain is one of the world's new seven wonders of nature, making it the summit of Cape Town’s iconic landmark. 

Swimming at Silvermine is a great idea for anyone who loves leisurely swimming and picnics. To not miss any enjoyable experience, plan a trip to Silvermine Ridge, Sentinel View, and Elephant’s Eye Cave, the most popular hikes here. For anyone who has a tighter schedule or budget, the secret to discovering the best places to travel in Cape Town is to see a bit of everything from the Table Mountain, hike to the top of the mountain at 1000 meters above sea level to abseil down.

Along your way down the side of the mountain, keep your eyes peeled for the vast blue ocean stretching out before you. You will be overwhelmed with the magnificence of The Twelve Apostles, Camps Bay, and Lion’s Head.

Have you ever explored the paths of Table Mountain on a freewheeler? Consider riding a scooter around Table Mountain, when you whizz down hills and slopes, you will see that it is surely one of the most exciting experiences in your life.

Exploring the Malay Quarter of Cape Town

The Malay Quarter nestles against the Signal Hill's steep slopes. As one of the oldest parts of Cape Town, its domestic architecture is dotted with single-story houses with flat roofs painted in a variety of pastel colors.

 

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Picturesque minarets of several mosques are a part of its rich and multicultural histories. The visitors to Malay Quarter can explore this place's blending of creeds and vibrant history or simply taste a cocktail that they often find unforgettable.

Visiting The Castle of Good Hope

Build near the shoreline of Table Bay between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, this star-shaped castle is considered to be one of the best examples of the world's preserved 17th century DEIC architecture, expected to become South Africa’s next UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

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I suggest visiting two of the most popular spots to eat: Waterblommetjie and De Goewerneur Restaurant, which has a small cafe with outdoor seating overlooking the governor’s residence and a quiet courtyard. Castle of Good Hope also offers a great variety of premier commercial events, especially art and photography exhibitions, which are often hosted within its five walls. Your tour would remain incomplete without a trip around the Key Ceremony, which is marked by the firing of the Signal Cannon. And you should know that this city is the perfect central base for tourists wishing to travel as a family.

Kayaking around Sea Point

Paddling on the vast ocean will show you the freedom sense of this adventure. Along the route, keep an eye out for the beautiful scenery of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range and Lion’s Head Mountain. Likewise, animal species including seals, penguins, dolphins,  and even whales are also present there.

The kayaking tour lasts for two hours, depending on the weather and your preference, it departs from Three Anchor Bay beach under the Sea Point Promenade and ventures along the coast towards the V&A Waterfront or Clifton Beach.

Going on a sightseeing tour of Ostrich Ranch

A 20-minute ride from the city center brings you to Cape Town’s Ostrich Ranch. There’re unique offerings, such as taking photos of the biggest flightless bird in the world while you are sitting on them, getting to witness the mating dance of the male ostrich,... This amazing sight is dotted with backdrops of both Table Mountain and the Hottentots Holland Mountains.

 

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You also find a variety of winged animals like the West Coast white ostrich, ostrich chicks, black-necked ostriches, dwarf ostriches, peacocks, emus, and rheas. While many visitors come here to just photograph these ostriches, others arrive for discovering new dishes on the African cuisine menu. Restaurants here are known for special dishes, such as burgers, ducks, and perfectly cooked steaks. Great coffee and good craft beer also overwhelm visitors here. Your trip will be memorable because of great service and friendly staff, who are always ready to help you.

Tasting wine at Groot Constantia

Groot Constantia has been producing wine for 336 years, it also is the oldest wine estate in South Africa. Groot Constantia is now a heritage site and national monument, and one of South Africa's most attractive destinations.

It was established by Simon van der Stel because of his love for wine, he found South Africa’s first wine farm in 1685 to teach farmers how to properly cultivate wine. By 1709 Constantia wines had become renowned in Europe with 70,000 vines on the farm. The wines are from rich African soil and perfectly crafted. You may want to plan your visit to Groot Constantia around the original Cloete Cellar, and the current production cellar, the new Visitors Route, an all-in-one experience of the Manor House Museum, another popular tourist attraction. Don't forget to taste five wines as well as a genuine crystal Spiegelau wine glass which is yours to keep.

Discovering Seals of Duikers

77 by 95 meters in size, with an area of about 0.4 hectares, Duikereiland or Duiker Island, which is not the nearby Seal Island, is an island off Hout Bay near Cape Town South Africa. It is known as the island of seals because of its lively population of Cape fur seals. The Western Cape’s coastline has become well-known for this craggy granite outcrop.

The island is not only home to the Cape fur seals, but it's also the place of much other marine wildlife like the common kelp gulls and cormorants. There are thousands of individuals, which live in droves. 20 species of seabirds are present here, including the kelp gull and the skua. This formidable predatory seabird feasts on its more petite relatives. If this doesn't sound interesting enough, friendly huge cetaceans like humpback whales or common dolphins are all around the Western Cape’s waters. Tourists and photographers regularly visit this island by boat via Mariner's Wharf in Hout Bay harbor.

Enjoying beautiful scene at Chapman's Peak Drive

Located between Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Atlantic Coast, which is on the southwestern tip of South Africa, Chapman's Peak Drive toll road has breathtaking views. You’ll get to see what the immense sea on one side and the majestic cliffs on the other look like from 114 spectacular turns. The magnificence of nature that you see after rounding each cliff will make your tour truly memorable.

Visitors will be surprised with the extremely romantic view of the sea when the sun gradually goes down, the whole scene is bright red. The dazzling rays of light shine on the cliffs, paint shimmering halos spreading throughout the space. This place's majestic scene will keep you off your devices.

Visiting Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

Having rich bio-diversity and natural vegetation, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is known all over the world for this vast natural beauty. It extends from Cape Point in the south to Signal Hill in the north and is a part of Table Mountain. Although the Cape of Good Hope lies at the southwest corner of the Cape Peninsula, it is not the southern tip of Africa, but just a little south of Cape Point on the southeast corner.

It's truly a shortcoming to visit Cape Town without a trip to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. This place is a popular spot for exploring by foot or mountain bike. Plan to stay at least a couple of days to experience numerous picnic spots or tidal pools on almost isolated beaches. You even can sit in a helicopter and ride over Cape Point to see the Cape Peninsula from the air before you land on Baskloof Private nature reserve for a gourmet picnic and don't forget to taste the local top wines. This part of the Table Mountain National Park is home to over 250 species of baboons, buck, birds, and Cape mountain zebra so remember to bring your camera.

Learning to surf at Muizenberg

Muizenberg is a paradise for surfing enthusiasts. It's a great idea to ride the waves and destress yourself in this beach-side town. Muizenberg is located in the Western Cape, where the Cape Peninsula’s coast turns round to the east on the False Bay coast so that it is known as the main surfing spot in Cape Town. There is a surfing community here, who center on the popular 'Surfer's Corner'.

You can learn basic surfing lessons in no time. All you need is sunscreen, a swimming costume, a towel, and your enthusiasm.