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A visit to the Cape of Good Hope is not to be missed on any visit to Cape Town. We will travel around the Peninsular and stop at the places that interest you
Travelling along the Atlantic seaboard, we will see majestic scenery and some of the wealthiest homes in Cape Town. Clifton boasts the four famous Clifton beaches where you can sunbathe with the rich and famous. As we head towards Camps Bay we will see the first glimpse of the Twelve Apostles mountain range. Named in 1812 by Sir Rufane Donkin (Governor of the Cape), although nobody knows why he gave them this name as there are around 18 peaks in total. Full view of the Twelve Apostles means that we are now approaching Camps Bay – one of the best places to view the Sunset! Immediately you will see the attraction of this area which boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In the evening it is transformed into one of the most vibrant areas of nightlife, as everybody meets for a cocktail to view the sunset, before heading towards one of the many seafood restaurants. Camps Bay has numerous B&B Guest houses, and is very often the choice for clients to make their base for their holiday. Please remember that as attractive as Camps bay beach is, the Atlantic Ocean is around 10 degrees Celsius, making it a challenge for swimming!
Hout is the Afrikaans word for timber as this area was a good source of wood for the early cape colonists. Today it is an upmarket residential area and a working fishing harbour. Some of the species caught are Snoek, Tuna, Yellowtail and Cray fish. Please enquire about Deep Sea fishing. In the harbour there is an opportunity to take boat ride to Duiker Island to see the colony of Cape Fur Seals. The boat trip lasts around 45 minutes in total and provides a great experience to see around 3000 seals altogether on the island.
Considered to be one of the most scenic marine drives in the world. Sir Frederic De Waal, the first administrator for the Cape, decided he wanted a road carved along the mountain. This was an enormous project for the geologists and engineers to construct a road through the soft band of shale which is sandwiched between the granite base and the overlying sandstone. Work began in 1915 and the road was officially opened in 1922. Falling rocks was always a constant threat in this area and eventually it was decided to close the road in January 2000. After a major engineering project, the road was reopened as a toll road in December 2003.
Around 8,000 hectares (19,770 acres), home to around 1,800 species, collectively called Fynbos. You might be lucky and see some antelope, wild ostriches, some Cape Mountain Zebra , Dassies and the Chacma Baboons. The main light house at Cape Point originally built in 1860. You can either walk up (average fitness is around 20 minutes), or take the funicular. Once you are up there you can relax and enjoy all the scenery. For about 9 days a year, the light house is covered in fog and in 1911, a passenger ship, the Lusitania hit Bellows rock and added to the already number of shipwrecks in the region. This prompted the commission of the second light house which was opened in 1919. The Cape Point is a popular area for tourists and has the Two Oceans restaurant and gift shops. There is a romantic image that the 2 oceans (Atlantic and Indian Ocean) converge in this area, but the reality is that they meet further around the east coast, towards a place called Cape Agulhas (the southern most tip of Africa). In any case, Cape Point offers some of the most beautiful scenery. in the world.
One of my favourite places on the Cape Peninsular route! For the mildly adventurous walkers, it is a nice hike from Cape Point to Cape of Good Hope. It takes around 40 minutes one way and we will drive around and meet you there. Diaz, struggled around the Cape in stormy weather in 1488, and gave this point the first name, The Cape of Storms (Cabo Tormentoso). He landed in Mossel Bay briefly before returning to Europe. Ten years later, Vasco da Gama, successfully rounded the Cape and made it through to India. This was considered a successful trip, as it opened up the trade routes to the east and so was appropriately renamed The Cape of Good Hope! (Cabo De Boa Esperenca) Today, there is a sign confirming that you are at the most South-Westerly tip of Africa. You could be unique and be the only tourist not to have a photo taken in front of it!
The African penguin is indigenous to the West coast of Southern African. In 1984, two penguins arrived on Boulders Beach. Due to a plentiful supply of fish and few predators, today we have around 3000! A walkway has been designed so that we can walk amongst them, without disturbing them and is popular attraction on the Cape Peninsular route. You will notice them sitting in pairs, as once they have found a mate, they stay together for life! Although they can lay eggs all year round, March to May is the main breeding season, and is a great time to visit and meet all the new chicks! They will appear a little clumsy walking along the beach. The ocean is where they exhibit their skills, swimming up to 20km/hour, to depths of around 20 metres, and they are able to remain underwater for around 2 minutes. You will see at the visitors centre, information on other species from the Southern Hemisphere, (Emperor, Chin Strap and Rockhopper penguins ). A good place to see examples of the Rock Hopper penguin, is the Two Oceans Aquarium, situated on the Waterfront. www.aquarium.co.za
Named after Simon Van der Stel (Governor of the Cape 1679 – 1699). Simon van der Stel was exploring the possibilities of a port to provide safe anchorage during the winter months. In 1737, nine fully laden ships ready to sail to the Netherlands, were savaged by a storm while anchored in the Table Bay and nearly 300 men drowned. This tragedy, prompted the Port of Simons Town and was officially opened in 1743. You can easily explore this town on foot, admiring the combined Cape Dutch and British architecture. Don’t forget to pay a visit to ‘Just Nuisance’!
Many years ago, a busy kiln produced lime for painting buildings – hence Chalk or lime bay. A picturesque fishing village which is exciting to explore as each time you visit here you discover something new. Many boutique and antique shops, with side roads leading to small arcades festering exciting market stalls. Kalk bay is not usually a stopping point for the tour coaches (there is limited parking which prevents this), hence this is an exciting place to explore, take lunch or a coffee amongst the locals.
As we travel through Constantia, you will notice how green the area is. Situated close to Table Mountain and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Constantia has it’s own microclimate, with the highest rainfall compared to anywhere else in the Western Cape. A leafy suburb with luxury homes and vineyards. Vineyards situated only 20 minutes from Cape Town make this an ideal half day visit or towards the end of a Tour of the Cape Peninsular. Groot Constantia Estate: One of most historical wine farms in South Africa (also very popular with tour buses). When Simon van der Stel retired, the Dutch East India Company, granted him this land to show their appreciation for all his contributions while he was Governor of The Cape. When he died, the lands was split and sold off and has had a number of owners.
Email:
Lesleyc@wol.co.za |
Cell: +27 83 448 7016 |
