Capetown Roundtrip Cape Point
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 30-12-2024
Route Summary Cape Point is a spectacular, narrow headland covered with indigenous fynbos (very species-rich vegetation), picturesque bays, beaches, rolling green hills and valleys, which are home to many indigenous animals. Cape Point is located in the World Heritage listed Cape Floral Region and is the southernmost point in the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park.
On the way we pass beautiful villages with enough options to take a break to eat or drink something or to walk a bit. We also make trips with a cable car and a train.
Optionally, you can plan an overnight stay and an extra day in “Simon's Town”.
I rate this route with 5 stars because of the beautiful roads, parks, panoramas and (historical) sights.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
12h 36m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
176.68 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review There are several rental locations to rent a motorcycle or rent a car. If you choose a motorcycle, it is advisable to rent an Adventure Bike, if you want to make a trip on unpaved roads. Renting a thumping Harley-Davidson is of course also possible.
We leave the city and after half an hour we already reach our first stop at the “Table Mountain Aerial Cableway”. This cable car to the top of Table Mountain is a tourist attraction and to avoid the crowds we visit this attraction early in the morning. This cable car takes us to the top of Table Mountain (1,085 meters above sea level) in about 5 minutes and on the way you have a beautiful view of the city and the surroundings. There is also a restaurant at the top if you want to take a short break.
After visiting Table Mountain we continue on the “Victoria Road” along the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, along the route there is the opportunity to enjoy a drink and a small snack with a view of the Atlantic Ocean at the “Voetsek Kitchen and Mobile Cafe”. Along the way on the “Victoria Road” there are several viewpoints to enjoy the beautiful coastline, such as at “Llandudno Viewpoint” and “Pietro Ferrero Viewpoint”, where with a bit of luck we can spot whales and dolphins.
At the village of “Hout Bay Beach”, a mecca for beach lovers with one of Cape Town's most iconic white beaches, the “Chapman's Peak Drive” begins along the Atlantic coast to Noordhoek, one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world.
“Chapman's Peak Drive” is also known as "Chappies" and is a must for anyone who wants to enjoy the majestic scenery of Cape Town. The drive starts at the picturesque fishing harbour of “Hout Bay” and the road winds steeply up to “Chapman's Point” where you have breathtaking views over the sandy bays, before descending to Noordhoek below. There is a small toll for this drive of R64 (3.40€/3.50$).
This beautiful rocky coastal road offers numerous points where you can safely stop to enjoy the panoramic views over the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the beautifully shaped coastline. At these beautiful viewpoints, some of which are up to 593 m above sea level, it is possible to spot whales and dolphins. In the parking areas you will also see groups of baboons, do not approach or feed them.
Plan a quick stop at “Old East Fort Battery”, built in 1782, this is one of the historical sites you will find on “Chappies”. “Old East Fort Battery” was built as one of four forts in “Hout Bay” between 1781 and 1806 by the VOC, the Dutch trading company that ruled the Cape Colony at the time. They were built to defend the Cape from a possible attack from the south. You can see the ruins on the left side of the road and a battery of cannons is at the end of a path on the right (as you drive up from “Hout Bay”). These cannons are still operational and are still used for commemorations and celebrations.
Lunch is planned in the town of “Kommetjie”, which is known for its pristine white beaches. If you feel like it, you can take a walk along the coastline to “Noordhoek Beach”, where you can see the remains of the “SS Kakapo” on the beach, “SS Kakapo” was a British steamer that ran aground on 25 May 1900 during her maiden voyage from Swansea in Wales to Sydney in Australia.
We drive south to the “Cape Point National Park”, the entrance fee to this park costs R455 (24€/25$) for an adult and includes access to all the attractions in “Cape Point”, including the lighthouse, the beaches and the nature trails.
We visit the Cape of Good Hope, which is traditionally seen as a marker for the transition between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, because ships here changed from a predominantly southern course to a more easterly course. However, the International Hydrographic Organization draws the boundary from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, to the south. That cape is located approximately 200 km to the east. The current pattern of the seawater indicates that the water masses of both oceans mix only to a limited extent and that the separation between the Atlantic and Indian waters shifts back and forth between the two capes.
We drive part of the route back to take a trip on “The Flying Dutchman Funicular”, also known as the “Cape Point Funicular”. This is a funicular railway on “Cape Point”. The railway runs from a lower station at the parking lot of “Cape Point” via a slope through dense fynbos, forests that consist of a very species-rich vegetation, to the upper lighthouse. It was the first commercial cable car of its kind in Africa and takes its name from the legend of the ghost ship the Flying Dutchman.
We drive north along the east coast of “Cape Point” with beautiful views over the False Bay, via the town of “Castle Rock” and “Boulder Beach” where we stop to see the African penguins (or “Jackass” penguins) up close in their natural habitat. It is a short walk of about 10 minutes from the parking lot, the last part over wooden jetties over the rocks along the beach at “False Bay”.
The next stop is in “Simon's Town” where we stop for dinner in one of the many good restaurants. “Simon's Town” is a naval town, located on the “False Bay”, with beautiful Victorian houses on St. George Street.
In the months that the Cape storm rages here, this is the place to stay out of the wind, something Simon van der Stel discovered in 1679. You can choose to stay overnight and spend an extra day in “Simon's Town” to discover the history that can be found everywhere here. Such as the naval history in the “South African Naval Museum” and the “Martello Tower” (a National Monument restored in 1972). A visit to the “Simon's Town Museum” is a must if you want to know more about the time of the VOC.
Walk the “Mile” along the beautiful Victorian houses in “St. George Street”, or from the Railway Station to the “East Dockyards Gates” with some 21 buildings, all over 150 years old, a reminder of the VOC and British colonial times.
At the Heritage museum in the “Amlay House”, you can learn more about the influence of the Cape Malay, the Muslim culture and life during the apartheid era. Take the exit to “Jubilee Square” where you can relax on a terrace with a view of the sea. Take the boat to Seal Island or for the adventurous you can also do a “Shark Cage Dive” and see the sharks in the bay up close in a steel cage. You can of course also choose to spend a day on the beautiful beaches.
We continue our journey north, en route you can visit the Vasco da Gama Cross, an important historical monument that commemorates the journey of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama around the Cape of Good Hope. This iconic stone cross was erected in 1938 and marks the spot where da Gama first set foot in Africa. Surrounded by dramatic cliffs and the vast ocean, the site offers some of the most breathtaking views.
Stop and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean at Smitswinkel Bay Viewpoint, where you can enjoy panoramic vistas as far as the eye can see. The rugged coastline, dotted with dramatic cliffs and natural beauty, provides a perfect backdrop for photos. Whether you’re here to soak up the sun, capture memorable photos or simply soak up the tranquil atmosphere, Smitswinkel Bay Viewpoint is an unforgettable stop on your Cape Town journey.
The last part of this route takes us back to Cape Town, we drive over the “Ou Kaapse Weg” (Afrikaans for Old Cape Road), numbered as route M64, Enjoy the drive over this mountain pass that connects the southern suburbs of Cape Town with the “Fish Hoek Valley”. The route crosses the Steenberg Mountains and passes through the “Silvermine Nature Reserve”.
Via “Tokai Park”, formerly known as “Tokai Forest”, we drive back to our hotel in Cape Town. This park is approximately 600 ha in size and is part of the larger “Table Mountain National Park”. The park consists of the “Lower Tokai Park” and “Upper Tokai Park. The lower part is flat and is characterized by the endangered “Cape Flats Sand Fynbos”. The higher part is located on the slopes of “Constantia Mountain”, consists of nature reserve and the “Tokai Arboretum”, and is characterized by “Peninsula Granite Fynbos”, “Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos” and “Afromontane Forest”. So you will be treated to beautiful views along the way.
Once we arrive in Cape Town we can enjoy the evening in the vibrant city centre with its numerous clubs, bars and restaurants.
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South Africa
About this region
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of coastline that stretches along the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini; and it encloses Lesotho. Covering an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles), the country has over 62 million people. Pretoria is the administrative capital, while Cape Town, as the seat of Parliament, is the legislative capital. Bloemfontein has traditionally been regarded as the judicial capital. The largest and most populous city is Johannesburg, followed by Cape Town and the busiest port city in sub-Saharan Africa, Durban.
Archaeological findings suggest that various hominid species existed in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago, and modern humans inhabited the region over 100,000 years ago. The first known people were the indigenous Khoisan, and Bantu-speaking peoples who expanded from West and Central Africa later settled in the region 2,000 to 1,000 years ago. In the north, the Kingdom of Mapungubwe formed in the 13th century. In 1652, the Dutch established the first European settlement at Table Bay, and in 1795 and 1806, the British occupied it. The Mfecane, a period of significant upheaval, led to the formation of various African kingdoms, including the Zulu Kingdom. The region was further colonised, and diamonds and gold were discovered, bringing a shift towards industrialisation and urbanisation. The Union of South Africa was created in 1910 out of the former Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies, becoming a republic in 1961. Though a system of non-racial franchise had existed in the Cape, it was gradually eroded, and the vast majority of Black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994.
The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation. After a largely non-violent struggle by the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. Universal elections took place in 1994, following which all racial groups have held political representation in the country's liberal democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces.
South Africa is a multi-ethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions; it is often referred to as the "rainbow nation" to describe the country's multicultural diversity, especially in the wake of apartheid. As a middle power in international affairs, South Africa maintains a significant regional influence. In addition to that, the country is a member of BRICS+, the African Union, SADC, SACU, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the G20. A developing, newly industrialised country, South Africa has the largest economy in Africa by nominal GDP. It is tied with Ethiopia for the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa, and is a biodiversity hotspot with unique biomes, plant, and animal life. Since the end of apartheid, government accountability and quality of life have substantially improved. However, crime, poverty, and inequality remain widespread. Having the highest Gini coefficient of 0.63, South Africa is considered one of the most unequal countries in the world, if not the most unequal.
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Archaeological findings suggest that various hominid species existed in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago, and modern humans inhabited the region over 100,000 years ago. The first known people were the indigenous Khoisan, and Bantu-speaking peoples who expanded from West and Central Africa later settled in the region 2,000 to 1,000 years ago. In the north, the Kingdom of Mapungubwe formed in the 13th century. In 1652, the Dutch established the first European settlement at Table Bay, and in 1795 and 1806, the British occupied it. The Mfecane, a period of significant upheaval, led to the formation of various African kingdoms, including the Zulu Kingdom. The region was further colonised, and diamonds and gold were discovered, bringing a shift towards industrialisation and urbanisation. The Union of South Africa was created in 1910 out of the former Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River colonies, becoming a republic in 1961. Though a system of non-racial franchise had existed in the Cape, it was gradually eroded, and the vast majority of Black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994.
The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation. After a largely non-violent struggle by the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. Universal elections took place in 1994, following which all racial groups have held political representation in the country's liberal democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces.
South Africa is a multi-ethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions; it is often referred to as the "rainbow nation" to describe the country's multicultural diversity, especially in the wake of apartheid. As a middle power in international affairs, South Africa maintains a significant regional influence. In addition to that, the country is a member of BRICS+, the African Union, SADC, SACU, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the G20. A developing, newly industrialised country, South Africa has the largest economy in Africa by nominal GDP. It is tied with Ethiopia for the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa, and is a biodiversity hotspot with unique biomes, plant, and animal life. Since the end of apartheid, government accountability and quality of life have substantially improved. However, crime, poverty, and inequality remain widespread. Having the highest Gini coefficient of 0.63, South Africa is considered one of the most unequal countries in the world, if not the most unequal.
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