Cape Town Travel Guide - Activities

Cape Peninsula National Park: is a good-sized bit of wilderness that’s actually within the Cape Town metropolitan area. Some of most interesting attractions are found within its boundaries – and all are easily accessed from the city.

The attractions include Table Mountain, where you’ll find excellent hiking opportunities; the Boulders, home to a colony of African penguins; the lovely Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; and Cape Point, which is Africa’s southernmost tip. It’ll take more than a day to explore all of this, and it’s highly recommended that you allow plenty of time for the experience, as this is likely to be the highlight of your trip.

There are days when Clifton’s the only place that isn’t windy. Camps bay has the best facilities. Llandudno is the loveliest of the three, and oftentimes the most crowded. Nearby, if you’re interested, you’ll find Sandy bay, the only nude beach on the Cape, and one that’s popular with gay men.

The Boulders is a good area for swimming, located on the False bay side, where the resident penguins may actually join you. Also on this side is the five-mile stretch known as Long beach, which features in many TV ads and commercials.

Horseback riding: both sunrise and sunset on Long beach are great times to enjoy a horseback ride along this stretch of coastline. Rides that are scheduled for 90 minutes are offered by Sleepy Hollow stables, at reasonable prices. You can also find beach rides located closer to Cape Town; and rides in the wine country as well.