Focus – Outdoor Activities Cape Town

Hiking and Walking

South African National Parks offers a range of reserves and conservation areas in and around Cape Town with mapped out walks, gentle hikes and some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. The Table Mountain National Park, Silvermine, Rhodes Memorial and the Constantia Greenbelt are a few examples of walks and contour paths available around the Peninsula.

Caving

There are over a hundred recorded caves on the Cape Peninsula, ranging from small overhangs to deep cracks on Table Mountain. Woodstock Cave can clearly be seen from Woodstock and Salt River, and is accessible via the Upper Contour Path running along Table Mountain. The Elephant’s Eye Cave is easily accessible from Tokai Forest or Silvermine and, although this cave does not go far back into the mountain, its size and the view from the entrance are impressive. Peers Cave is an overhang situated in Fish Hoek and can be accessed from Ou Kaapse Weg. The Kalk Bay Caves, Tatarus Cave and Boomslang Cave can all be found around the Kalk Bay area.

All caving requires an experienced guide.

Mountain Biking

The varied topography of Cape Town, from its soaring mountains to long, flat beaches and forested slopes presents cyclists with many routes to choose from and as such, Cape Town is suited to both the amateur and professional cyclist. The best areas for cycling include Durbanville, Camps Bay to Hout Bay, Ou Kaapse Weg, and Chapman’s Peak Drive where visitors can take advantage of a number of exciting off-road trails and private roads leading around Devil’s Peak.

Sandboarding

Surf the sand dunes of Atlantis, just outside of Cape Town, no matter whether a beginner or veteran.

Kloofing

Kloofing or canyoning involves getting down a fast-flowing river gorge by boulder hopping, wading, swimming, climbing and jumping off cliffs. The Helderberg region offers excellent kloofing spots. Again, an experienced guide is essential for this sport.

Rock Climbing

Indoor or outdoor rock climbing is another popular activity in Cape Town. The Silvermine Crags offer challenges such as vertical rocks and overhangs for the skilled climber.

Racing

The Killarney Race Track is the oldest motor sport complex in South Africa and boasts a stock-car oval, drag strip, kart circuit and motocross track. Whizz around the track in a Formula One car after brief, same-day training and have a blast.

 Shark Cage Diving

Cape Town and the Western Cape has many shark cage diving charters to choose from that can take you from Seal Island in Hout Bay to Gansbaai, a few hours drive from Cape Town. No matter how far you choose to travel, a shark cage dive could be a life-changing experience.

Surfing, Big Wave Surfing, and Kite Surfing

Cape Town is famous for its winter swell, when surfing is an absolute must. Beginners are advised to visit Muizenberg and Big Bay, whereas experienced and big wave surfers will enjoy Llandudno, The Hoek, Hout Bay, Glen Beach, Dunes, Long Beach, the Crayfish Factory, or the Kalk Bay Reef.

Kitesurfing is best done at Blouberg Beach.

Waterskiing, Wakeboarding, and Cable Waterskiing Cable waterskiing is new to Cape Town and uses an overhead cable system with an electric motor that pulls skiers around a lake. Nearby Somerset West offers wakeboarding, waterskiiing and cable waterskiing.

 Helicopter Rides

Take to the Cape skies Vietnam-style in a restored 1963 military bird, The Huey. Or … you can take a marginally tamer ride in a commercial helicopter. Whichever you choose, you will have a panoramic view of Cape Town.

Skydiving

Skydive from 3 000m above Cape Town and freefall 25 to 30 seconds before parachuting back down to earth.

Paragliding

Paraglide off Lion’s Head either by doing a tandem glide or taking two days to master the art for a solo flight. Paragliding, hang-gliding and microlighting is the closest thing to owning your own pair of wings.

Abseiling

Abseil Table Mountain by stepping off at the top – 1 000m above sea level – into a 112m controlled descent.

Golf

Golf deserves a special mention because Cape Town has a wide selection of excellent golf courses from established parkland courses to links layouts – some of the courses having been designed by leading golfers such as Gary Player. Get some exercise and take in your surroundings in a friendly four-ball.

For further information and bookings, contact The Traveller cc!