Things To Do in Cape Town

Here's our guide to the beaches of Cape Town. There are some missing and everyone will have their own opinion, but it will be a good starting point for finding a beach that you'll like!

Camps Bay

One of the most popular beaches in Cape Town. Camps Bay has great scenery, palm trees, white sand and beach bodies that some effort have gone into (bar some rogue McSunbathers).  There's a promenade bustling with trendy restuarants along the beach and it is accessible by public transport. If you like a busy, bustling beach vibe then check this one out. There is a wave but walk across to Glen Beach for a better wave.

Clifton

Close to Camps Bay this series of four coves is also very popular, a beach where you go to be seen not swim. The location is spectacular but you'll need to get there early to get a good spot.

Llandudno

This is another beauty. The beach is another very popular one so get there early. Great waves make this a popular one for surfers. Sundowners at Llundudno is a Cape Town institution so definitely stay there for that. There's not shops near the beach so bring what you'll need.

Sandy Bay

This one is just next door to Llandudno. Cape Town's only nudist beach has brilliant surroundings and spectacular views. It's a bit of a walk to the beach so it is normally less crowded than next door. There's often a great, hollow little wave for surfing so take your board. There are some dodgy people around so be sure to go to the main beach in a group if you are going nude!

Hout Bay 

The bay curves from the beginning of Chapman's Peak Drive to the Hout Bay Harbour. The beach is a dog friendly beach and quiter than Clifton and Camps Bay making it perfect for families. There are great restaurants around the beach and a trip to see the seals launches from the harbour. A vist here can be a great day out. The waves on the beach work once in a while and you'll generally have fun with a bodyboard.

Deep South

Further south you'll find Noordhoek, Long Beach, Scarborough and Witsands. These beaches are a bit of a drive so tend to be less crowded than those closer to the city. All of them are family orientated and great to visit.

Muizenberg

Muizenberg is a great beach for walking, swimming, surfing and sunbathing. The beach is long, so never feels too crowded and the waves are perfect for learning to surf, the surf schools located here confirm that. There are activities on offer all along the promenade so you'll struggle to get bored here. The water is typically warmer than it is at the beaches on the other side of the peninsula so it's the best swimming beach.

There are also a lot of other beaches in Cape Town waiting to be discovered while you are here!

Here's a brief heads up on some of the available sports. With this list and Google you'll be able to find it if it's available.

Surfing

Cape Town has awesome surf spots, it's a guide all to itself. The water is pretty chilly so a 3/4 wetsuit is adviseable. There's a range of waves suitable for all boards. Have a look at www.wavescape.co.za for more info.

Kayaking

Sea kayaking is always an option. There are mulitiple launch points that allow you to paddle against a spectacular backdrop. Surf ski paddling is also very popular and you'll be able to find a race easily. Paddlers.co.za offers recreational kayaking trips in the Simons Town area. 

Whitwater kayaking is an option in Winter. If you are comfortable on a class V creek the bring your gear. There is one class III river near Hermanus which www.gravity.co.za offer commercial trips on. You can find out more about the Cape rivers on www.adrian.playak.com.

Cycling

Road cycling is pretty dodgy around Cape Town but mountain biking is a definite. If you stay in Observatory it's a short ride up to Deer Park, a large network of jeep track that allows you to ride on the slopes of Table Mountain. You can use this track to get to Signal Hill where there's some more technical stuff. The Tokai forest is also close and you'll find a playground full of single track there. Visit www.pedalpower.co.za to find a guide.

Running

If you rent a room in Observatory you'll be able to link up with the Observatory running club. It's a young and fun group who train during the week and will show you some of the great trail runs available in the city. They also enter races so you'll have people to go along with. You can find them on Facebook here.

Climbing

Cape Town has some pretty decent climbing spots. If you drive for a couple of hours you can also get out to the Cederberg which has a lot of great routes! Staying in Obs you'll be able to sharpen you skills, or start climbing, at cityrock.co.za.

Gym

There are plenty of these in Cape Town. The issue with them is that they are very keen on locking people into long cotracts, which doesn't work if you are here for a short time. Zone Fitness is located in the nearby suburb of Rondebosch and traditionally deals with UCT students so is more flexible than the others.

That's just scratching the surface! As we mentioned earlier if it doesn't involve snow then bring your kit. The relative cheapness of things here also means that it's a great time to do courses that you have always wanted to, like a PADI scuba course.

We will not bore you with a regurgitated list of trendy and classy places to eat out and taste wine but try let you know some of our favourite spots based on living here.

Chippies Prego

There's two branches of Chippies but we are fans of the one based down the road in Rondebosch. There is only one thing you should order here and that is the Prego steak roll with Prego sauce on the chips. It's awesome but the garlic content will put you out of the dating scene for a bit.

Chai-Yo

Is a Thai restaurant based in Mowbray. The food is great, authentic and reasonably priced. It has a Thai chef, Thai ingedients and Thai beer.

Fish On The Rocks

Behind the Hout Bay harbour this one is a local haunt. Fish straight from the sea with chips can't be wrong?

The Brass Bell

Located in Kalk Bay this restaurant has a brilliant setting. The food is average but after a couple of beers seeing that view you really will not care.

Mzoli's Place

Is a great way to see the township and have a fantastic afternoon. The menu is braaied meat that you buy on site.

Charly's Bakery

Think pink, quirky and delicious then you are starting to get the idea here. It's a family run business that puts out some of the best cakes, biscuits, pies and other various nibbles. One that you have to see, directions are here.

The Hussar Grill Rondebosch

If you like steak or ribs then put this one on the list.

These are some experiences that you don't want to miss.

Learn English

Let's Learn English is an English language school within 5 minutes walking distance from 33 south backpackers. They offer English classes in the morning, afternoon and evenings for very low prices. They have advanced equipment (beamer, smartboard etc) and the classes are small, max 8 students. You're guaranteed to learn English fast and secure.

You'll find their site here.

Castle Of Good Hope

This pentaganol castle was built between 1966 and 1679, it is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa and has been exceptionally well preserved. Inside the walls you will find a rich military history dating back to Jan van Riebeek arriving in the Cape.

Robben Island

Robben island is the prison that many of South Africa's most famous political prisoners were placed. It is located 9km offshore from Cape Town and has a history dating back centuries. Tours leave from the V&A Waterfront and are conducted by former inmates who are able to give a firsthand account of life on the island.

District Six Museum

This museum recalls the history of a vibrant community that was forcibly removed during the apartheid era. The area was declared a "white group area" and the residents were removed to the Cape Flats. All of the buildings in the area, apart from religious ones, were destroyed.

Iziko Museums

The Iziko Museums of Cape Town are an amalgamation of museums located near the city centre in what has been referred to as "museum mile". There are twelve museums broken down into three spheres; natural history, social history and the arts.

Township Tours

Township life is an integral part of life in Cape Town and taking a tour allows you to catch a glimpse into the vibrant culture of a large percentage of Cape Town's people. Most tours will also make sure that you visit a school or orphanage, a shabeen, a spaza shop and traditional healer.

Cape Town Holocaust Centre

The Cape Town Holocaust Centre was created not only as a memorial to the victims of the Nazi Holocaust, but as a stark reminder of the dire consequences of allowing racism and anti-Semitism to fester in our societies.

On display at the Centre are various exhibits depicting the horrors of the Holocaust.

Cape Town has great opportunities to shop. If the exchange rate is working in your favour you'll definitely be able to pick up some bargains. Also remember that group buying sites are well represented in South Africa so you'll be able to find some 50% specials on some items.

The Victoria & Albert Waterfront is without a doubt the most pleasant mall to visit.