Things to do in Cape Town: highlights in the city and the surrounding area
The ultimate Cape Town guide. Only the best, nicest, tastiest and most beautiful addresses found their way into the guides Cool Cape Town City and Cool Cape Town Surroundings.
The city and its surroundings are an open-air studio (all photogenic) and culinary attraction rolled into one (did you know that most of the best chefs in the world live in South Africa?). There is always something going on in the city, but the surroundings of Cape Town are just as great! There is wonderful natural beauty and there are impressive ones roadtrips, wild animals and indescribably beautiful Out of Africa vistas. Hence here is a small one sneak peek From the book with the best things to do in Cape Town. It's sure to leave you wanting more, and luckily, it's perfect: you'll find these and many more tips (it's a hefty book!) in Cool Cape Town, and you can order it here. here.
And the books are therefore really the perfect gift for a birthday, under the tree, Sinterklaas or just because it's possible. First things first! Rent a car When around Cape Town. DiscoverCars.com is honest and reliable
If you think the penguins at Artis are cute… Think again! The South African black and white friends at Boulders Beach, aka The rocky beach of Simons Town is on a whole other level. The large penguin population here is on the white sand, protected from the wind and high waves by the boulders. This also makes the beach an ideal swimming spot for children, and yourself, except that it… well… stinks. Because the penguins, sometimes waddling about in their thousands, aren't too fussy about their droppings. Fun fact: the penguins used to be called Jackass Penguins because of the sound they make during mating season. A sound that resembles a rearing donkey. To keep the beach clean and attractive for both humans and penguins, a few Rand is charged for entry. We haven't yet found any exceptional restaurants in the area, but the shrimp and mussels at Bertha's Restaurant are excellent. You sit comfortably at black-and-white striped tables and enjoy the view of the sea.
Do yourself a favor and enter Waters Edge into your navigation system. Through a small gate, you'll arrive at a truly wonderful, little-known beach, where you can actually swim and snorkel with the penguins, away from the tourist traps. You're welcome.
Boulders Beach: Kleintown Road, Simon's Town | Bertha's Restaurant: 1 Wharf Street, Simon's Town
You don't have to delve into Cape Town holidays for very long to discover that a visit to Babylonstoren is a black But we'd be worthless tipsters if we didn't mention it here. The oldest farm—it dates back to 1692—in the Cape Town area is of Dutch origin and highly recommended. After just an hour's drive from the city center, you'll arrive at a white farmhouse where everything, every corner, every detail, is beautiful. You can stroll through the gardens, blow your budget on the farm shop (farm produce, of course, but also fantastic hats, soap, tableware, books, towels, and wine, all homemade), sit down for a fantastic lunch at Babel, the resort's award-winning restaurant with primarily vegetarian dishes, or have a drink in the Greenhouse, a beautiful greenhouse with a terrace. Overnight stays are also available and highly recommended. Plus, you can spend half a day in the equally stunning spa. That said: just breakfast followed by a few hours in the spa, and you'll be king (or queen), we promise. Plus: your Instagram feed will thank you; everything at Babylonstoren is equally photogenic.
It has been like this for some time, but since the experience farm When Soetmelksvlei opened at the end of 2024, it got even better. The drive from Babylonstoren to Soetmelksvlei is just under twenty minutes in a safari jeep, and you're almost literally transported back in time. Back in the South African days, at the end of the 19th century, when the world moved much slower and everything was made by hand. You can buy a ticket through the Babylonstoren website: ten people can enter every hour (go early). So beautifully conceived and executed… It's magical!
When you think of Africa, you think of the Big five. Okay, maybe you think of wine first, then Table Mountain, then all the delicious food, and maybe a bit of surfing comes into mind first — we don't judge — but still… At some point, you have to visualize the Big Five. The lion, the leopard, the elephant, the rhinoceros, and the (Cape) buffalo, the pride of Africa. I was lucky enough to see all five of them during a single safari vacation. spotting. Quite unique. That was in the Kruger National Park on the other side of the country, the largest wildlife-park of South Africa (side stepWhen my parents returned from their vacation a long time ago, I understood they had been to the pub park. It seemed incredibly cozy. If you've taken our advice and are spending a day or two in and around Plettenberg, part of the Garden Route, consider adding another day and heading via the Garden Route to Port Elisabeth and Addo Elephant Park, an hour north of the city. This park is the third largest wildlifeSouth Africa's national park (the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is also larger), and four of the five famous animals live here in the wild—only the leopard has never been spotted there. In return, you do get antelopes, hyenas, zebras, and hartebeest, among other animals. And—note this—six hundred (!) elephants. There's a good chance a little one will waddle by. So. Terrible. Beautiful. You can game drives reservations — recommended as the rangers Growing up with the animals, every snapped twig has a story to tell. You're also welcome to drive around in your own car, provided you follow designated roads. There's a restaurant and swimming pool at the park's main building, and the Addo Elephant Park website has a good selection of hotels and lodges in the area (such as the Woodall Country House & Spa).
One calls it walking, the other hikingThe idea: put one foot in front of the other. Don't think about it too much, and just soak up the stunning surroundings. If there's one place where you can do that well, it's California. Okay, and Cape Town, of course. In fact, walking, or hiking, is a real thing here. Besides, there's no better way than a short walk to experience the ultimate "on top of the world" feeling. These are our tips for hiking in and around Cape Town.
Every first Thursday of the month, you can visit a large number of art galleries and museums in Cape Town's city center. Free of charge. Together with a large group of like-minded people: young and old. (though mainly young) strolling through the city with a drink in hand. The concept—imported from London—was created to make art more accessible to a wider audience. All spaces are open to the public from five to about nine in the evening, and there are several routes that many people walk weekly. Some of the best participating galleries are The Cape Gallery (60 Church Street), Gallery MOMO (170 Buitengracht Street), 99 Loop Gallery (99 Loop Street), and Eclectica Print Gallery (69 Burg Street). A map with all locations and the do's en don'ts You can find it on the organization's website. Dive into Bree Street at the end of the evening.
