Not feeling up to ‘doing’ so much but more into just strolling and viewing? Then have a look through the places where the views are spectacular or where you can find out more about the history of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. The Cape Peninsula has fantastic natural beauty in its fauna and flora, mountains and oceans.
Visit the Cape Point Nature Reserve, or Table Mountain, or see the Ostriches or bird sanctuary, or stroll the many beaches we have to offer. Besides the main museum in the city of Cape Town there are many smaller historical sites worth a visit.
Below is a list of places in Cape Town and the Western Cape where you can relax and enjoy and/or learn more about Cape Town, its people and its wildlife. Where there are links they will take you to the websites of the respective places. Where there is no website we will try and source the basic information for you.
Natural beauty:
False Bay area
- Cape Point Nature Reserve
- Chapman’s Peak Drive : scenic drive between Noordhoek and Hout Bay
Further out
- Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens : situated on the slopes of the mountains above Newlands
- Table Mountain : Cape Town – our Natural Wonder!
Places/Trips of interest:
False Bay area
- SAS Assegaai – floating submarine museum : Simonstown harbour
- Kalk Bay harbour – watch the fishing boats come in with their catch
- Rhodes Cottage & Het Posthuys : Muizenberg
- The Warrior Toy Museum : St George’s Street, Simonstown. Permanent exhibition of Dinky Toys, Dolls, Meccano, Model Cars/Boats/Trains, Soldiers etc.
Admission R5 | 021-786 1395
Further out
- Iziko Planetarium : Cape Town
- South African Museum : Cape Town
- Robben Island (requires braving the Table Bay waters on a ferry ride from Cape Town)
- Castle of Good Hope : Cape Town
- Bo-Kaap : Cape Town
- Steam Train – Cape Town to Simonstown
- Taalmonument – monument to the Afrikaans language : Paarl
Creatures – things that swim, fly, jump, run, slither, climb…:
False Bay area
- Boulders Penguin Colony : Simonstown
Further out
- Two Oceans Aquarium : Cape Town
- Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm : Stellenbosch
- Monkey Town : Past Somerset West, near Gordon’s Bay
- Cape Town Ostrich Ranch : West Coast (Philedelphia), near Tableview
- World of Birds : bird sanctuary in Hout Bay
- Butterfly World : Stellenbosch
- Aquila Game Reserve – see the Big 5 : near Ceres
- Paarl Bird Sanctuary : Paarl
- Spier Cheetah Park : Stellenbosch
- Die Vonds Snake Park : in Paarl/Wellington on the R45 (look for a sign that says “Die Sentrum” with a Cobra on it). Danie Malherbe founded the park and rescues snakes from all over the area. It serves as a conservation park and has over 40 types of snakes, as well as lizards and tortoises, leguans and more. Call 021-863-8309, open between 09h30 and 17h30. Combine it with a trip to the winelands!
- Sanbona Wildlife Reserve : on Route 62 past Montagu, about 3.5h drive from Cape Town. See the Big 5 and stay overnight
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