Magical Cape Town

You can see all the pics on my Instagram and I also have a few highlights for Cape Town on my profile.

WHERE?

 

WHEN?

I was there in Feb-March and it was great! Not too warm, one day a week some rain, waves coming back, no mosquitoes… I loved it.
Summer has better weather but apparently, it can be super warm. Winter has the best waves… Difficult choice!


WHAT TO PACK?

  • The sun is STRONG here, so all the sun protection equipment

  • Hiking gear, so many amazing hikes

  • Snorkeling equipment and if you have, a thick wetsuit ^^ The underwater world is amazing but cold

  • Weirdly enough, almost no mosquitoes

  • Beach time outfit

  • I advise leaving empty space in your suitcase to bring back some artisanal work/clothes, some art, and some wine!


WHAT TO DO?

HIKING

Cape Town is FULL of hikes… it is impressive, and each of those is just gorgeous…

  • Lion’s head: the most famous one and it is worth it. There are some super stiff sections though, with ladders on the stiff walls, I did NOT expect this. So if you are afraid of heights I would maybe not recommend it…
    Ideally, go during the week. The weekend is packed. Sunset time is rush hour…

  • Table Mountain:

    • We did the Skeleton Gorge - Table Mountain - Cable Car, it was AMAZING but stiff haha. We did not expect it, so prepare your water and some snacks. You can make it a bit longer and pass by a Dam to swim (depending on the season). You start from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden so you will have to pay the R220 entry ticket… So ideally leave some time before to explore the grade, maybe have a snack/break there.

    • You can also grab the cable car up and then start some hikes from there.

  • Devil’s pick: I did not have time to do it, but it’s on my list!

  • Silvermine: a lot of hikes in the region, we did Silvermine Dam - Elephants Eye Cave - Constantiaberg and it was magical. A great combination of viewpoints, on both sides, a peak, and the dam to swim/relax (make sure to finish by the dam). The entrance fee is R160 and ONLY CASH. They do accept dogs

  • Cape of Good Hope: unfortunately I did not have time and you need a car to go. The entrance fee is R4oo and sooo many hikes around.

  • Pringle Bay / Kogelberg Nature Reserve:


BEACH TIME

The list is long… but here are some of my favorites:

  • Clifton Beach: just gorgeous!

  • Camps Bay: Beautiful beach and a lot of restaurants and coffees around.

  • Llandudno Beach: good for surfing.

  • Noordhoek Beach: Endless Beach.

  • Long Bay: beautiful views!

  • Scarborough Beach: so beautiful.

  • Muizenberg: endless beach once again but you mainly have to stay around the surfers’ corner for security reasons, do not go in the dunes.

  • Windmill Beach and Water's Edge Beach: paradise, and perfect for kelp swimming.

  • I got recommended Bloubergstrand but I did not have time.

Surfing: most beaches can have surf depending on the swell/tide, but here are the most famous spots. Anyway, check Surfline for the Forecasts

  • Llandudno Beach: good for surfing

  • Bloubergstrand

  • Muizenberg

Pools / Natural pools:



OCEAN WONDERS:


African penguins:

  • Boulders Visitor Centre: is the closest place from Cape Town center. You pay an entrance fee (that helps conservation) and follow a path to see the penguins on beaches. More touristy

Diving: explore the magical kelp, or if you are in the right season, go for the sardines runs! I recommend Cape RADD and Impact Divers

Whale watching: a lot of tours will take you from Cape Town to see the southern right whales

Sea Lions: Open your eyes when you look at the kelp! You can also have organized snorkeling tours

Kayaking: a great way to explore the cape and hopefully see sea lions.

Kelp and seaweed are such a natural wonder/resource in South Africa! I highly recommend going for a snorkel or dive (check out Impact Divers), and finding some restaurants where you can eat kelp! You also have a lot of organizations telling you more about foraging.


VINEYARDS:

Cape Town is surrounded by vineyards! You can just go for a wine tasting, or spend the day there, or even a weekend in a cute hotel/spa place. Here are the ones I tested:

  • Constantia: it’s the closest area to the city center. Gorgeous houses, estates, vineyards. I would go each weekend haha. We went to Groot Constantia Winemaking Plaque

  • Stellenbosh: Seemed endless with all the vineyards along the main roads

    • Babylonstoren Wine Estate: the most famous and tourist one, and you have to pay an entrance fee, but is it worth it” It is just gorgeous and you can spend the day there with the tour of the gardens, the wine testings, the restaurants, etc

    • Allée Bleue: what a view from the terrasse of the testing! Good wine.

  • Spa and wine: yes, you read it right, the dream. A LOT of options, for all prices. For sure I would recommend Babylonstoren Wine Estate but it was fully booked. We found a great package at Wellness in the Wild and it was great.


OTHER:

  • Cable Car: if you have vertigo, do NOT go, it is impressive how stiff this cable car is. The view from the top is just breathtaking. You have a bar/restaurant on the top.

  • Chapman's Peak Drive: gorgeous drive!

  • The drive until Pringle Bay is also breathtaking

  • Wellness in Nature and Eco-lodges: if you fancy beautiful hotels and spas, Cape Town and its surroundings is the place.

  • Museums: Cape Town has a few options! Look for your style

  • Make sure to check all the concerts and festivals on your dates, so many options!

  • The cute colored beach huts in Muizenberg

  • Robben Island: Historical landmark known for housing political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela, now with a museum.

  • Enjoy the sunsets! They are gorgeous. Ideally, on the beach or at a viewpoint. Weirdly enough there are not a lot of restaurants/bars on the seaside… I would recommend The Lawns at the Roundhouse to enjoy the lights.



FOOD AND DRINKS:

As always, I highly recommend using the Happy Cow app to find all the vegan/veggie places and options. I did not listed them all here, only the ones I tested.

In the city center:

In the vineyards: have a look at the restaurant options in the vineyards because they all looked amazing, especially at Babylonstoren Wine Estate:

Kommetjie:

  • The Green Room; nice terrasse and good options. They also have cocktails.

  • Kommetjie Pizzeria: they are super nice and have vegan options! You can bring your own alcohol (but be respectful) All is outside.

Kalk Bay and Simon’s Town have so many cute coffees, just walk around and choose

Muizenberg: Lots of great options.

GOOD TO KNOW:

  • You can easily buy a Vodacom SIM card at the airport. Way cheaper than the e-sim options online. There is also wifi at the airport.

  • Loadshedding: almost every day, sometimes several times a day, the electricity is cut! Download an app or look at the internet to know when the next power outage is. Generally, the internet stays on so it was not an issue for me with work, maybe I just had to be out of the camera because of no light haha.

  • You can almost pay everything by card or Apple Pay. The only time I used cash was for the laundry machine and some parks/hike entrances.


SECURITY TIPS:

When I told people I was going to Cape Town, the reactions were mainly “Are you crazy? It is super dangerous there!”. Indeed, it can be, and you have to be aware of what is going on and conscious that inequalities in this country are heartbreaking. “But”, if you are careful and follow the security rules, you should be fine and seriously, most of the cities, even in Europe, are scary now.

Here are basic rules/tips to follow:

  • If you know local people, ask them! They will know more than me and will have the latest updates

  • Check travel blogs and tips

  • There are a lot of WhatsApp groups for everything and FB ones

  • Safe districts in the center
    Tamboerskloof
    Gardens
    Camps Bay
    Bakoven
    Sea Point
    Mouille Point
    Green Point - I stayed there for a week, super central, and I did feel safe. You still have to follow the basic rules below though.
    De Waterkant

  • A bit further:
    Llandudno
    Muizenberg - I stayed there for 2 weeks. I highly recommend the surfers’ corner. this area is safe (but you have to apply the basic rules still). Do NOT go further than the “Muizenberg Water Slides”, especially alone and around the dunes, this is where the kids under drugs are. If many people walk down the beach you can, but do not go in the dunes or walk alone on the beach. More info about Muizenberg is above.
    Noordhoek
    Kommetjie
    Bloubergstrand

  • Avoid other districts

  • Never go somewhere alone, even for a hike during the day

  • Never take an empty street

  • At night, you can walk in the busy streets and areas in the safe districts, but for all the rest, grab an Uber, super cheap.

  • I was told to avoid public transport

  • Do not show off your phone, AirPods, etc

  • Keep your belongings close to you, always have an eye on them