Day Trip to Cape Point and around the Cape Peninsula

A sightseeing drive to Cape Point and around the Cape Peninsula is a “must do” day trip when visiting Cape Town. The Cape Point day trip is one of Cape Town’s top 10 tourist attractions and ranks with the most scenic drives in the world.

The following route is a circular route approximately 140 kilometres in total and takes you in an anti- clockwise scenic drive around the peninsula passing the following towns & beaches

Cape Town – Llandudno – Hout Bay – Chapmans Peak Drive – Noordhoek – Scarborough – Cape Point – Boulders Beach – Simons Town – Kalk Bay – Muizenberg – Cape Town

Day trip to Cape Point Route Map 

Start:

Directions: Start by departing from Cape Town up Buitengracht Road away from the sea. Continue straight up Kloof Nek Road all the way through the kloof between Table Mountain and Lions Head. This itself is already a very scenic road as the road starts to wind down the other side of the Mountain and you are hit by the paradise view of the white beaches and crystal waters of Camps Bay below. Continue straight over the other side down Camps Bay Drive / M62 as it winds its way down to the sea.

Note: this route only takes in Camps Bay from above. If you wish to include a stop at Camps Bay Beach, turn right off Camps Bay Drive into Geneva Drive to Camps Bay first.

Info: Camps Bay

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Camps Bay is one of Cape Town’s wealthiest suburbs, famous for its luxury apartments, celebrity lifestyle and white sandy beach.

Today, the picturesque Camp’s Bay with its elongated sandy white beach; lush palms and an azure ocean is not only one of the most popular tourist attractions, but also the place to be for the hip young generation of Cape Town.

It is therefore hard to imagine that the first inhabitants were San (aboriginal Bushmen) and that this was once a forest area roamed by wild animals.

Camps Bay has a trendy fusion of Kiosks; Restaurants, Cafés and cocktail bars which are all on the main road along the beach.

Camp’s Bay furthermore offers one of the most spectacular, uninterrupted views of the renowned Twelve Apostles, the sandy mountain range of which the Table Mountain forms part of.

Directions 1: Camps Bay Drive turns into Houghton Road and winds its way all the way to the sea where you will turn left onto Victoria Road / M6 with the sea on your right. You will follow this road all the way as it winds along one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world.

Info – Llandudno Beach

En route, relish in the unspoiled beauty that unfolds with every corner turned. As the road reaches new heights look down on Llandudno Beach.

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Should you prefer the tranquillity of beaches that are not frequented by the crowds, the beautiful, slightly more secluded Llandudno Beach is definitely worth a brief stopover.

Your steep walk down a meandering pathway will take you past enormous boulders on both sides and conclude in a grand finale of an untouched beach with a captivating view of the mountains. Llandudno is also a firm favourite for surfers.

Directions to Llandudno Beach: Turn right onto Llandudno Road and continue onto Fisherman’s Bend. From there you will turn right onto Oakburn Road and then take the first right onto Leeukoppie Road to reach the parking area at Llandudno Beach.

Directions 2: Continue along Victoria Road / M6 towards Hout Bay. Here we definitely recommend a stop, a stretching of legs and a little wonder.

Info: Hout Bay

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Experience Hout Bay, a traditional fishing harbour with a view on ‘The Sentinel’ Mountain Peak.

There is a pleasant buzz in Hout Bay- a former fsmall fishing village, now a coastal suburb of Cape Town and home to people from all walks of life. The streets are alive with locals and tourists who flock to a host of curio shops; restaurants and snack bars; while the beach is very popular with hikers; paddle skiers and windsurfers. This charming inlet furthermore provides one with an unparalleled view of the impressive 320 metre high Sentinel Mountain Peak.

Rumours have it that Oprah Winfrey; Bill Gates and Donald Trump were once interested in buying this mountain peak.

Hout Bay is also famous for its unforgettable boat trip from Hout Bay harbour to Seal island to see the seals playing in the cold waters.

The boat trip to seal island is a fun way to get up close and personal with the delightful Cape Fur Seals. For this purpose, Drumbeat Charters’ “one-hour special” to the Seals and Shipwreck comes highly recommended.

Your expedition will first take you to Duiker Island to see the seals and then to Moari Bay to view the shipwreck of the Boss 400 that was destroyed at sea by one of the notorious Cape Winter Storms.

Drumbeat Charters can be found at Hout Bay Harbour.

More on the boat trip to Seal Island here

Directions 3: From Hout Bay center, you will simply head west on Daphne Street, from where you will turn left onto Victoria Road. When you get to a roundabout, take the first exit onto Princess Street. At the second roundabout that you will reach, you will take the second exit onto Main Road, which is the M6 Coastal Road. From there, you will simply follow the clearly marked signboards that will lead you to Chapman’s Peak Drive. You will have to go through a toll plaza to enter the road. The road eventually bends inland looking over Noordhoek Beach and turns into Noordhoek Drive where we recommend a lunch stop.

Info: Chapman’s Peak Drive & Noordhoek

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“Chappies,” as it is called by locals, is regarded as one of the grandest aquatic drives in the whole world.

The nine kilometre jaunt meanders through various twists and turns that each open up on some of the most awe-inspiring panoramas of soaring mountains and towering cliffs that plummet deep into the sapphire blue ocean.

There are a number of lookout points where one could pause to just absorb the splendour or take photographs.

The Chapman’s Peak Drive is also one of the foremost sites from where the Southern Right Whales can be seen in the months from July to November.

Enjoy a relaxed lunch at the Foodbarn Bakery & Deli in Noordhoek

Before you leave Noordhoek with its seemingly endless miles and miles of sandy white beaches, you will most probably be ready to have an early lunch. For this purpose we would recommend the quaint Foodbarn Restaurant and Deli that is renowned for pairing the most interesting wines with dishes that appear like gastronomic art. Should you just feel like a light snack at this point, you should definitely try some of the homemade breads with their coffee which is said to be the “best in the Valley.” These culinary creations are all the handiwork of the celebrated chef and author Frank Dangereux who was formerly responsible for opening the luxurious La Colombe that is situated on the Uitsig Wine Estate.

Directions 4: After lunch, continue along the same road and just after Sunningdale, you will turn right at the crossroads towards Kommetjie. At the next junction, turn left onto Slangkop Road / M65 (don’t follow to Kommetjie) following signs to Cape Point. Continue through Scarborough and onwards along Plateau Road to the Table Mountain National Park & The Cape of Good Hope.

Info: Table Mountain National Park

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Today, The Table Mountain National Park is still predominantly surrounded by water, except for a narrow strip of land that joins it to the mainland. The majestic Table Mountain that overlooks Cape Town is on the northern side of the Peninsula. At the southernmost end, you will find Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, which are both part of the Table Mountain National Park which has been declared a Natural World Heritage Site for both its historic value and unspoiled natural fauna and flora. The Peninsula furthermore forms the western frontier of the renowned False Bay which was first referred to as “the gulf between the mountains” by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.

Pause to take in the best of Mother Nature at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope are the two most prominent landmarks within the Table Mountain National Park that are most visited by people who come to Cape Town.

The legendary Cape of Good Hope is particularly known as being a guiding post for sailors of old and is still referred to as “The Cape” by sea travellers today.

The Table Mountain National Park is renowned worldwide for its diverse fauna and flora; as it boasts 1200 plant species and more than 250 species of birds and animals such as buck, baboons, small mammals and the Cape Town Mountain Zebra. Your day trip will most probably only allow for a brief stopover here. But should you enjoy hiking, it is highly recommended to return for the 2-day hiking trail or to do a guided tour to delight in the incredible splendour that Mother Nature has to offer.

An extraordinary achievement: reaching the most south-western tip of Africa: Cape Point

Cape Point is still part of the Cape of Good Hope and offers the same scenic magnificence that one would experience at the Table Mountain National Park. It furthermore offers a host of other attractions that includes a curio shop, a restaurant; braai (barbeque) areas; angling and diving sites; tidal pools, The Flying Dutchman Funicular and two lighthouses.

To enter this world heritage site, one has to go through a gate and pay an entrance fee of R85 per adult and R30 per child, as quoted in September 2012.

Some also refers to Cape Point as “the place where two oceans meet,” speculating that there is a clear line visible at the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. But while there appears to be a difference in the colour of the water, there is no scientific proof to substantiate it.

There are two lighthouses at Cape Point. The Old Cape Point Lighthouse was built in 1857, on Cape Point Peak, 283 metres above sea level. Because of its height, clouds and mist often obscured the view of it, making it undetectable to ships at sea approaching from certain positions. After the Portuguese Lusitania was shipwrecked on 18 April 1911, the Lighthouse was moved to its current position, which is 87 metres above sea level.

It is said that this Cape Point Lighthouse, is the most potent one on the South African coast; with a range of 63 kilometres and a group of three light beams that flashes ten million candlepower each, at 30 second intervals.

To reach the Old Lighthouse, one could take a relaxed walk to enjoy the scenery and do some animal and bird watching on the way.

Just be aware that the last stretch is very steep. Also be on the lookout for the extinct chacma baboons that still roam the Cape Peninsula area and that are most likely to cross your path. Do not encourage them to come closer and do not make any attempts to feed them.

You could also take The Flying Dutchman Funicular, an environmentally-friendly cable-drawn railway system that has been named after the legendary ghost ship that completely vanished at sea during one of the infamous Cape Storms.

Costs for making use of The Flying Dutchman as quoted in September 2012, were ZAR47 for a return ticket for adults; ZAR20 for pensioners and scholars and children under the age of six was admitted for free.

Upon your return from the OId Lighthouse you might very well want to sit down for a glass of wine or some of the outstanding seafood at the Two Ocean’s Restaurant, which provides an unsurpassed view of False Bay from every corner of the restaurant. Do not leave without buying a keepsake to remind you of your escapade extraordinaire at the Cape Point Logo Store.

Directions 5: You now begin your home journey back to Cape Town via Simons Town. Retrace your steps until you get to the junction of the main road and turn right onto the M4 towards Simons Town. When you leave Simon’s Town to get to the Boulder’s Beach, you will simply carry on with this Main Road and turn left into the Boulder’s Visitor Centre which is clearly marked with signposts.

Info: Simons Town & Boulders Beach

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Travel through the seaside village of Simon’s Town to get to the illustrious Boulder’s Beach Penguin Colony

Simon’s Town, which is South Africa’s naval base. Named after the Governor of the Dutch settlement, Simon van der Stel, the charming little coastal town is beautifully decorated with Victorian style houses. While you might want to just drive through, you will most definitely want to stop off at the Boulder’s Visitor Centre which is situated just around the corner from Simon’s Town, in the Table Mountain National Park.

Seeing the delightful colony of Jackass Penguins with their comical braying call is bound to become one of those experiences that will be imprinted in your heart and mind for time to come.

Directions 6: Continue from Simons Town & Boulders onwards towards Kalk Bay via Fish Hoek. Pass through Fish Hoek unless you have time to spare. The distance from Simons Town to Kalk Bay is about 10kms.

Info: Fish Hoek

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Less than 10 kilometres away from Simon’s Town, you will find another marvellous seashore village, Fish Hoek, which is also known to be one of the prime whale watching sites.

Fish Hoek furthermore has special historic value as the remains of the 12 000-year old Fish Hoek man which is said to originate from the early Stone Age was discovered here.

Information on this can be found at the Fish Hoek Valley Museum.

You will no doubt also be charmed with the old-world Victorian bathing boxes on the stunning white beach.

Directions 7: The drive from Fish Hoek to Kalk Bay is less than ten minutes. Head south on 10th Avenue towards Grysbok Way and turn left onto Kommetjie Road. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Main Road. Approximately 2.6 kilometres further you will turn left onto Clairvaux Road, and then right onto Loch Road. From there you will take the first right onto Anderson Road, then right onto Windsor Road and right again onto Main Road. Bear in mind that you will still be on the M6 Coastal Road and that clearly marked signposts will guide you all the way.

Info: Kalk Bay

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Feel the vibe at one of the last remaining working harbours in South Africa: Kalk Bay

Next stop is the pleasant fishing community of Kalk Bay, which is one of the last remaining operational ports in South Africa.

Formerly also one of the three leading whaling stations; and home to one of the oldest rail tracks in South Africa, the colourful little village is rich in culture and history.

Today, the vibey Kalk Bay, with its hippie-style people, will fill you with fascinating sounds, images and smells of the ocean; its fishermen; fish markets; colourful boats and of course, the smelly seals. Be sure to make the most of your Kalk Bay experience by mingling with the cosmopolitan crowds and eccentric business owners, by shopping for bric-a-brac at one of the many trendy little stores.

You could also visit The Rhodes Cottage Museum, which was once the holiday home of the illustrious Sir Cecil John Rhodes.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, be sure to make a stopover at The Brass Bell Restaurants & Pubs, which offers great pub food and one of the best views on Kalk Bay. You could also have a quick coffee or sit down for mouth-watering pasta at the well-loved Olympia Café and Deli. Should you be an avid sea food lover, you should definitely call on The Harbour House where the freshest possible line fish and sea food is delivered daily.

It will furthermore be worth your while to check the line up and return to the famous 78-seater Kalk Bay Theatre and Restaurant for one evening to see some first-rate entertainment performances, whilst enjoying a superb meal.

Your last stop as you prepare to return to Cape Town should no doubt be the lovely Muizenburg, which is well-known for its brightly coloured beach huts.

Directions 8: From Kalk Bay you will drive to your last stop; Muizenberg. Continue along Main Road for 3kms past St James at which point you will turn right into Beach Road and then a 2nd right again into Beach Road to get to Muizenberg Beach.

Info: Muizenberg

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Delight in the sight of the brightly coloured beach huts lined up along Muizenberg beach.

Muizenburg is also regarded as Cape Town’s nicest, child-friendly beach for bathing purposes.

This is because the water here is much warmer; the ocean is generally calmer and the beach is level and wide open. Kids will particularly enjoy the sight of bronze-bodied surfers. Parents will most probably like to wander the streets to see Het Posthuys, the oldest built structure on the False Bay coast that dates back to the 1600’s or the remarkable York Street which has not changed for centuries.

Directions 9: From Muizenberg you will need to retrace your steps back to Main Road and head up the M4 following signs back to Cape Town. Turn left off Main Road after about 1km onto Old Boyes Drive which winds its way up the escarpment back to Cape Town. The views from this road are especially spectacular as you look down onto the Muizenberg and accross Sandvlei as you climb. At the junction turn right onto Boyes Drive following signs to Cape Town all the way. You will eventually hit Main Road, where you need to follow signs to the M3 Cape Town. You will pass Tokai and head back through Constantia back to Cape Town.

Catch a glimpse of The Constantia Wine Route on the way back to Cape Town

This picturesque route that will provide you with just a little peek of what you will get to explore when you get to do the Constantia Wine Route. The Constantia Wine Route takes one past some of the most esteemed and oldest wine estates in South Africa, where you can taste some international award winning wines. As one would most probably want to linger for longer, it is definitely worth doing a day trip solely for this purpose. Click here for more information about the Constantia Wine Route