You do not have to pay an entrance fee to see penguins: if you head to the beach right from the parking spot in the center of town, you will most likely stumble onto some already

Cape Town is the most popular city for tourist in South Africa. The reasons for this are many. Although there is no denial the city itself has a lot to offer for all types of travelers, the area around it is almost as diverse and beautiful as the city’s population. Beautiful nature around the Capes, waddling penguins in Simon’s Town and breathtaking scenic routes along 2 oceans in one day. This and a lot more can be discovered around Town. Find out which 10 sites you cannot miss while roaming around South Africa’s Mother City.

Road Trip Inception

On the road again…

Our visit to South Africa was basically one gigantic Road Trip. From our starting point of Johannesburg to our destination of Cape Town we had already covered over 2500 km. This meant we had spent over 30 hours in the our tiny Ford Figo packed with four people and 4 big backpacks. Seems dreadful right? Wrong! What is more fun than exploring a completely new country with 4 friends armed with nothing but a car and some spare clothes?

Which is exactly why, after about two days of enjoying Cape Town, we longed for the road again. So we packed up again and did a little Road Trip during our massive Road Trip. Below you can find our itinerary and the Google Map to help you figure it out. I’ll give a short description and some tips about each place.

Start and Finish

We started and finished our trip at two different hostels. Both were great and are definitely good options the stay when you are in Cape Town. You can find more information on both in my post about Cape Town itself. But let me just mention their names and information here:

• Start: The Backpack: a socially responsible hostel investing in local infrastructure and durable tourism. On top of that they are very well equipped and super friendly. Do check if they still have a room for you, you won’t regret it!
• Finish: HomeBase Backpackers: a great place to stay if your really want to be in the heart of the city. A great price-quality hostel with a fun bar and a roof terrace where you can braai all day every day!

But enough beating around the bush, let’s get down to business and list the stops of our little road trip. Each of them not to be missed, they are listed in chronological order. The map at the end of the post can help you navigate if needed!

1: Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is a small city somewhat to the North-East of Cape Town and about 45 min driving from the Mother City. It is famous for its university and, as a logical result, for its vibrant nightlife. But first and foremost Stellenbosch is THE place to discover the beautiful vineyards of South Africa.

The entire city is surrounded by dozens of Wine Estate, each bigger and more extravagant than the other. Despite of the undisputed fanciness of these estates and their excellent international reputation we came for one thing and one thing only: wine-tasting. Almost every estate has a bar and terrace where you can enjoy several of their top wines for a ridiculously low price.

These prices, combined with the fantastic concept of the Vine Hopper, made our visit to Stellenbosch unforgettable. Well except for the end of the day, where those memories get rather distorted. I’ve dedicated an entire post to this experience that simply has to be on your South African to-do list. Do reserve at least half a day to do a wine tour and an entire night to sleep it off!

2: Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg is the name for a lot of things around the same place. It’s the name of a little town in False Bay, at the roots of the Cape Peninsula. But it also lends it name to the Mountains behind the town and especially to the beach know for being a great surfing spot. The combination of all these elements however is what made Muizenberg famous. More specifically: it made the town insta-famous. The place just begs to be photographed. It’s wide sandy beach, multi-colored beach cabins, perfect waves and cloud-covered mountains in the background make it aesthetically irresistible.

When we arrived the wind was blowing super hard, and just being on the beach was actually painful. The sand was blown into our faces and legs at a very uncomfortable speed. This resulted however in a perfectly deserted beach, which made it the perfect conditions for a great shot. You can’t see the wind on a photograph!

3: Kalk Bay

In our case mostly a great stop for the first drink of the day to process the very hard wine hangover we caught in Stellenbosch. However the town has a lot more to offer than a drink in the Brass Bell Pub, which offers a great view over the harbour. The small fisherman’s village has grown to be a place of culture and relaxation. There is a very bohemian artsy vibe, with loads of shops selling all kinds of trinkets and clothes. The hippy inside yourself can go completely crazy there. Add this vibe to surfing, good food or a refreshing dip in one of the tide pools and you’ve caught the essence of this cozy town.

4: Simon’s Town

The name of this place might not sound familiar immediately. However I bet that when I mention Boulders Beach some bells go off in your head. If I add the word penguin to this you probably just had the revelation I was looking for. Simon’s Town is home to the world-famous Penguin Colony of Boulder’s beach. This protected colony was probably the most expensive site we have done with a 75 ZAR entrance fee (about € 5). But it was well worth it. Seeing the nesting places of the Cape Penguins, walking among them and watching them deal with the harsh winds by huddling together was great!

However you do not have to pay an entrance fee to see penguins. If you head to the beach right from the parking spot in the center of town, you will most likely stumble onto some already. They’re everywhere in the area and if your careful you can get really close to them and even waddle alongside. However keep in mind these are wild animals so do not feed them, chase them or try to touch them. They might seem cute but they will gobble up your fingers like it’s a tasty sardine. Caution: if you go in November like us, the water is freezing!

5: Cape Point

If you drive down South from Simon’s Town you’ll enter the Cape Point National Park at some point. A beautiful piece a nature centered around one of world’s most famous places in seafaring history. Although Cape Agulhas is the most Southern point of the African continent, Cape Point and Cape Good Hope are names you’ve probably heard mention more. I very much recommend hiking up to Cape Point, not only to the new Cape Point Lighthouse but also down to the Old one at the very tip. There is just something exhilarating to come closer and closer to one of the very corners of a continent.

6: Cape of Good Hope

Slightly less spectacular than Cape Points rocky tip with lighthouse, but probably world’s most famous cape. If you have time (which we did not) I would recommend taking the hike from the one cape to the other. Walking along that rocky windy coastline has something magical about it. Right on the rocky beach of Cape of Good Hope we spotted a huge whale carcass rotting in the sun. Although it was truly spectacular to check out. The smell caused us to keep a good distance from it.

7: Slangkop Lighthouse

You guessed it, after visiting the capes there’s not much going down South anymore, so we turned the car around and headed back up along the West side of the Cape Peninsula. Although our plan was to drive back up in one go along the scenic M65 and M6 roads However we stopped several times along the way to take in the shockingly beautiful landscape along the way. The fading afternoon sun shining its yellow light on that coastline was the perfect way to end our Road Trip.

Our first stop was near the Slangkop Lighthouse. We did not drive up to it but enjoyed the part it played in the panorama as seen from the roadside. It’s located right next to Kommetjie, which literally translated means as much as Tiny Bowl.

8: Noordhoek Beach

This wide long sandy beach is a bit further up the M65 where the roads joins the coastline again. From that last bend in the road where it joins you have an amazing view over this beautiful beach. If you have time I would definitely recommend you to go down and take a dip. Who else can say they swam on both sides of the cape in one day?

9: Chapmans Peak

This mountain between Noordhoek and Hout Bay towers over one of the country’s most magnificent roads. Chapmans Peak Drive is known far and wide for its breathtakingly serene landscapes over Hout Bay. We were lucky enough to pass by during the best moment of the day: the sunset. We stopped at the viewpoint in the middle of the Drive to take in the view and enjoy the light shining on the bay around us.

10: Camps Bay

This residential town, very popular due to it’s pearly white beaches and nightlife, has become increasingly popular among tourist. Instead of staying in the middle of the city, the less budget travelers prefer to stay in a comfy little hotel in this picturesque town. It is the perfect place to enjoy the sun’s last rays while sipping from a cold glass of Chenin Blanc overlooking the beach and the ocean. If you arrive a bit earlier you can enjoy a dip in the cool waters and down a cold Savanna cider on the beach. Dear lord, I’m making myself thirsty just remembering this.

The way home

From Camps bay you’ve got two options to drive back into cape town. You can take the Geneva Drive and Camps Bay Drive over the back of Table Mountain straight back into the center of Cape Town. Or you can continue along the coast, following Victoria Road leading to Seepunt, the Cape Town Stadium and eventually V&A Waterfront. You can choose from a huge variety of options there for dinner to end your two days of unforgettable Road Trip.

The Map

Below you can find the map that will help you plan this road trip. Just uncheck everything except the Cape Town Road trip itinerary and stops and be on your way!