7 reasons to love Cape Town

Last week we returned from an 8-day trip: a few days in Durban and 6 days in Cape Town.
We’re both a bit enamored with Cape Town, so I’ll now risk sounding like an over-zealous Tourist Bureau pamphlet to tell you 7 of our favorite things about it…

1. The geographic setting is awesome. the urban center and downtown neighborhoods stretch between Table Mountain National Park and the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful seaside suburbs reach all around the Cape (most of which is protected Park land) and feature white sand beaches, lots of great surf spots, hiking trails and small-town vibes. There are as many pine trees as there are palm trees, lush vineyards, crisp trade winds and pleasant seasons, and lots of picture-perfect views. I cannot think of another big city so close to National Park trailheads… San Francisco comes to mind, with its proximity to ocean and hills, But even that falls short, both in proximity and sheer natural beauty.

2. The surf. I know I already mentioned it, but this place has the best surf options of any city I’ve ever visited. Over 40 legitimate spots spread all over two different coastlines: one on the western (and cold) side of the Cape of Good Hope, and one on the eastern side of it (warmer, seasonally dominated by Indian Ocean currents). What this means is, when the winds or swell directions are wrong for some spots they’ll probably be ideal for other spots—they have bays and beaches pointing in every possible direction and angle. The 40 nearest spots are all within about 30-40 minutes’ drive from the town center, and (get this) you’re within an easy day’s drive to the world famous perfection of Jeffery’s Bay. Heading east along the coast from Cape Town offers great Indian Ocean surf and small, friendly crowds. Hands-down the best surf town I’ve ever been. Biggest drawback—and it’s a big one: a healthy population of great white sharks lives in these waters. Durban has shark nets protecting its local beaches but Cape Town does not.

3. The Wineries. We didn’t even make the hour-drive out to Cape Town’s most famous vineyards of Stellenbosch, and the wineries still made this list. We elected instead to visit the ones closer in, along the eastern slopes that border the National Park in the leafy, upscale suburb of Costantia. From nice waves to nice wines in like 15 minutes. Free tastings, reasonable prices, Eden-like settings (one estate was established in 1682), friendly vintners… loved it.

4. Penguins. Down the Cape Peninsula on the southern end of a little Bayside town called Simon’s Town is a protected, breeding colony of African penguins. These things are ridiculously cute, full of personality, guaranteed to make you smile and laugh. I say they’re protected, but maybe that’s not quite accurate: for a small entrance fee we entered Boulder Beach (another national park I think) and we were able to sit right next to them—even swim with them in a protected little cove if we dared get in the frigid water. One area was more restricted (the actual nesting area), but the access we humans are allowed to these penguins is pretty incredible—and would not likely be allowed in the U.S. Still, mixed feelings and all, it was so cool to hang out with penguins.

5. Table Mountain National Park. I’ve already mentioned it, but it deserves its own little bullet point. Again, lots of access trails, fantastic views and dramatic aesthetics, unique geology and plant life… the definitive feature of Cape Town.

6. The Victoria and Albert Waterfront. It’s part of downtown’s waterfront and it’s a really cool mix of industrial, residential, and retail. Most of it is new and spruced up (maybe for the upcoming World Cup) and there was a lot to see and do—malls, museums, galleries, markets, coffeeshops and restaurants, marinas, etc. We bought new jackets down there… maybe that’s why I recall it so fondly.

7. Kistenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Established in 1913, this huge plot of land (528 hectares) near the University of Cape Town is partly cultivated/landscaped and partly nature/wilderness preserve. Hiking trails connect its upper slopes to bordering Table Mountain National Park, and Olmstedian pathways meander through its lower slopes, where 9,000 of southern Africa’s 22,000 plant species are grown in carefully manicured terrain. The landscape is sublime. It’s part of a World Heritage Site. I’ve never seen a park or garden grounds to rival this one—I don’t know what I could possibly say that could do this place justice… maybe just look at some pictures online.

We also liked various markets in/around the downtown’s City Bowl, and Green Point, and the beach suburbs of Camps Bay and Hout Bay and Muizenburg and Kalk Bay… visiting the tip of the Cape of Good Hope was cool, as was Signal Hill… but 6 days in Cape Town wasn’t quite enough time. We didn’t, for example, visit the prison on Robben Island (where Mandela was held) or the Stellenbosch wine region, and we didn’t do any downtown museums or galleries or explore the coastlines to the north or east (called the Garden Route). Maybe next time. If any of you comes to the southern Africa region, first thing you should do is contact us; second thing you should do is invite us to join you in Cape Town. We’ll say yes.