Things to Do in Cape Town

Our contestants submit photographs that have been taken on safari but before or after travelling to these destinations, many visit Cape Town, our Mother City. This is the ideal pairing for many tours that move through the Kruger National Park as the Western Cape has so much to offer from the Garden Route to the Cape Winelands. Read below to discover some magical things to do in this region.

Beaches

We have some of the best beaches in the world with the Atlantic Seaboard at the top of our list. Here you’ll find Clifton and Camps Bay along with other smaller gems. You’ll find beaches right up the West Coast as well including Bantry Bay and Melkbosstrand and down to Muizenberg which is a wonderful surfer’s beach. Down the Garden Route you’ll reach Plettenberg Bay and Nature’s Valley which showcase a more wild side of the Cape’s oceans – the water is warmer too!

Mountains

Our mountains are world-famous, specifically Table Mountain! But there are many more to be seen and to be hiked including Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. You can even travel as far as the Helderberg Mountain Range where you’ll find stunning views of the ocean.

Shopping

Shopping comes in various different forms in Cape Town with the V&A Waterfront being the leader in terms of designer boutiques and larger chains. For some vintage threads you can head over to Long Street or the suburb of Observatory which is also known for its antiques and vinyl.

Wildlife Spotting

While there isn’t the same kind of safari experience in the Cape as you would find in the Kruger National Park, there are plenty of creatures to spy in places like Kirstenbosch Gardens and Cape Point. In the suburb of Simon’s Town there is even a penguin colony on Boulder’s Beach that is open to tourists.

Eateries

There are eateries everywhere in Cape Town with different cuisines from around the world on offer. Hit Kloof Street for daytime eateries, MannaBay and Mount Nelson for high tea, Camps Bay for sundowners, the Waterfront for fine dining and Long Street for late-night drinks and bites.

Award-winning Wines

There are countless wineries around the Cape with the best situated in Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Elgin, The Hemel en Aarde Valley as well as Walker Bay near Hermanus. All of these wineries invite you to taste their delicious wines, absorb their welcoming atmosphere and indulge in their gourmet offerings.

Next time you’re in South Africa on safari, stop over in Cape Town to delight in all of the above. If you have some shots from the Cape that fall into our Africa off the Beaten Track category, enter them now before the competition closes!