Chapman’s Peak Drive is one of the most spectacular coastal roads in the world, located on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, south of Cape Town.

The road stretches for about 9 km between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, hugging the cliffs of Chapman’s Peak with dramatic drops down to the ocean below. It was carved into the mountainside between 1915 and 1922, an impressive engineering feat at the time.
As you drive along the route, you’re treated to breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, the rugged coastline, and the surrounding mountains. There are several designated viewpoints and picnic spots where you can stop to take in the scenery or snap some photos.

A few things worth knowing: the road is a toll road, so there is a small fee to drive it. It can also be closed periodically due to rockfalls, as the cliffs above are unstable in places — so it’s worth checking beforehand that it’s open. The best time to drive it is on a clear day, ideally in the late afternoon when the light is golden and the views are at their most stunning.

It’s a must-do when visiting Cape Town, and is often combined with a trip to the Cape of Good Hope, a visit to the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, or lunch in the charming seaside village of Noordhoek or the harbour at Hout Bay.

From Cape Town, follow the Atlantic coastline along the M6 route southwards, passing through Clifton and Camps Bay. Then continue towards Hout Bay. Once in Hout Bay, you will find the entrance to Chapman’s Peak Drive clearly signposted, with the toll booth at the entrance. You can also approach from the other end via Noordhoek if you are coming from the Muizenberg side or from the M3 route.

No visit to Cape Town would be complete without ascending Table Mountain. There are two ways to do it: on foot, with the trail starting from the Kirstenbosch gardens, or by cable car from the foot of the mountain. The hike up takes around three good hours. Light clothing and sturdy shoes are essential, and make sure to pack water and a warm layer or windbreaker in your bag — it can get cool at the summit after the effort of the climb. You don’t need to be an athlete, but a reasonable level of fitness is required, as the slope is sometimes very steep.

The alternative is to take the cable car. Buy your tickets online to avoid the tedious queue at the ticket office.

It is strongly advisable to go up early in the morning or in the late afternoon. The 11am to 4pm window is best avoided if possible.

Before planning your visit, make sure Table Mountain is not completely shrouded in cloud — the whole point of the trip is, of course, the view over Cape Town. The weather on the mountain can change very quickly.

IMPORTANT

Most people who hike up Table Mountain choose to come back down by cable car. Bear in mind that the starting point for the hike is not in the same location as the cable car station — your car will be parked at Kirstenbosch gardens, while the cable car drops you at the foot of the mountain on the other side.

So you have two options: head back down the same way you came up, or simply grab an Uber — genuinely very affordable — to get back to your car.

Pour la randonnée

Kirstenbosch Gardens – Rhodes Dr, Newlands, Cape Town

Par le téléphérique

5821 Tafelberg Rd, Table Mountain, Cape Town,

Kirstenbosch is one of the most beautiful and celebrated botanical gardens in the world. Located at the foot of the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, about fifteen minutes from the Cape Town city centre, it is an absolutely unmissable destination during any visit to South Africa.

An exceptional garden Founded in 1913, Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden in the world created to protect and cultivate exclusively the indigenous flora of a country. It spans approximately 36 hectares of landscaped gardens, integrated within a 528-hectare nature reserve on the slopes of Table Mountain. The entire estate forms part of the Cape Floristic Region, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of the six floral kingdoms of the planet and the richest in plant biodiversity relative to its surface area.

The fynbos The star of Kirstenbosch is the fynbos — a plant biome unique in the world, endemic to the Cape, encompassing thousands of plant species including the famous proteas (South Africa’s national flower), ericas and restios. The diversity and beauty of this vegetation is breathtaking for anyone encountering it for the first time. Entire fields of flowering proteas, bushes of vibrantly coloured ericas, extraordinary succulent plants — Kirstenbosch is the finest place in the world to discover this singular ecosystem.

The Boomslang Canopy Walk The garden’s flagship attraction since its opening in 2014 is the Boomslang — named after the tree-dwelling snake in Afrikaans. This serpent-shaped suspended walkway rises through the tree canopy and offers spectacular panoramic views over the gardens, the mountain and Table Bay beyond. It is an experience that is both architecturally remarkable and sensorially unforgettable.

Biodiversity The garden is home to more than 7,000 plant species, a large proportion of which are endemic to the Cape region. It includes a section dedicated to the traditional medicinal plants used by the San and Khoikhoi peoples, a rose garden, a dense indigenous forest with centuries-old trees, water garden sections and even a greenhouse for the most delicate species.

Wildlife Despite its cultivated character, Kirstenbosch is also a refuge for numerous animals. Dassies (rock hyraxes, small mammals resembling marmots) bask on the rocks with complete calm. Dozens of bird species are regularly observed, including the iconic Cape sugarbird which feeds on the nectar of proteas. At night, honey badgers and porcupines sometimes venture into the garden.

The setting and atmosphere What makes Kirstenbosch truly unique is the way the landscaped garden imperceptibly merges into the wild mountain behind it. You can move from a manicured lawn to a mountain trail within minutes, with increasingly magnificent views over the Cape Peninsula as you climb. The atmosphere is peaceful, lush and almost melancholic in misty weather — the garden has a soul that few places in the world can match.

Practical information Kirstenbosch is open every day of the year, from 8am to 6pm in summer and until 5pm in winter. There is an excellent on-site restaurant, Moyo, as well as a more casual café. The garden shop offers seeds, plants and fynbos-based products of excellent quality.

Boulders Beach is one of the most unique and endearing spots on the entire Cape Peninsula. A beach nestled among enormous pink granite boulders in Simon’s Town, about 45 minutes south of Cape Town, it is best known for one absolutely delightful reason: it is home to a thriving colony of African penguins.

The African penguins It is hard not to smile upon arriving at Boulders Beach. On the sand, between the rocks and among the bushes, hundreds of African penguins (also known as Cape penguins, or Spheniscus demersus) go about their business with complete nonchalance — waddling along the beach, squabbling over the best spots, incubating their eggs or diving into the turquoise water. They are so accustomed to human presence that they sometimes approach to within a few centimetres without the slightest fear.

The colony established itself here in 1982 with just two breeding pairs, and today numbers several thousand individuals. It is one of the few African penguin colonies accessible to the general public, and one of the easiest to observe anywhere in the world. The African penguin is an endangered species — its population has dropped dramatically over the past century due to overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction, making Boulders all the more valuable as a conservation site.

The site and the beaches Boulders Beach takes its name from the enormous rounded granite boulders scattered along the coastline, creating sheltered coves with calm, crystal-clear water. These rocks, 540 million years old, have been smoothed by erosion and warmed by the sun — they form an almost lunar and highly photogenic landscape. The waters here are relatively calm and sheltered, making it one of the few beaches on the peninsula where swimming is genuinely comfortable. A word of caution, however: the water remains cool, influenced by the Benguela Current.

Visiting Boulders Beach is part of the Table Mountain National Park and access to the penguin area is paid. Wooden boardwalks have been installed to allow visitors to observe the penguins up close without disturbing them or trampling their nests. There are two main entry points: Boulders Beach on the beach side, and Foxy Beach a little further along, where the concentration of penguins is often even more impressive. The best time to visit is early in the morning, before the day’s tourist crowds arrive.

Simon’s Town Boulders Beach sits on the edge of Simon’s Town, a charming historic town well worth lingering in. A former British naval base, it retains beautiful Victorian architecture along its main street. The town still houses the South African Navy’s naval base, giving it a distinctive atmosphere that blends maritime history with the relaxed feel of a seaside village. A handful of good seafood restaurants, craft shops and the South African Naval Museum round out the visit.

Cape Point is one of South Africa’s most iconic natural sites. Located at the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula, it impresses as much through its wild beauty as through its symbolic and historical significance.

The site Cape Point is a sheer cliff that plunges into the ocean from a height of nearly 250 metres. The landscape here is of rare power — vertiginous drops, waves crashing onto the rocks far below, often violent winds sweeping across the plateau, and an infinite horizon stretching across two oceans. It is a place that gives you a visceral sense of standing at the edge of the world, on the boundary between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.

Cape Point forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, which extends across the entire Cape Peninsula and is one of the most visited national parks in South Africa. Entry is paid and also includes access to the surrounding nature reserve.

The lighthouse At the top of the cliff stand two lighthouses. The original lighthouse, built in 1860, was perched so high in the clouds that it was often invisible to passing ships — a factor that caused several shipwrecks. A new, lower lighthouse was built in 1919 and remains active today. The old lighthouse can be reached either on foot via a well-marked trail of around 20 minutes from the car park, or by the Flying Dutchman Funicular, whose name pays homage to the legend of the ghost ship said to have haunted these waters for centuries.

The legend of the Flying Dutchman Cape Point is intimately linked to the legend of the Flying Dutchman — the phantom ship condemned to wander the Cape waters forever, never able to make port. The legend, popularised notably by Wagner’s opera, has its origins in the accounts of sailors attempting to round the cape during terrifying storms. The waters around Cape Point are among the most dangerous in the world, with opposing currents, violent winds and unpredictable weather. Dozens of shipwrecks are recorded along this coast, and the hulks of some wrecks are still visible in calm conditions.

Wildlife Cape Point is a wildlife paradise. The undisputed star is the Chacma baboon — entire troops live within the park and are particularly bold around visitors. They are clever, fast and completely fearless of humans. Car windows must be kept closed and food should never be brought out in the open — baboons are capable of opening backpacks and raiding picnics within seconds. Anti-baboon rangers patrol the park to manage interactions.

Ostriches can also be spotted strolling calmly along the trails, alongside bontebok (Cape endemic antelopes), springbok, leopard tortoises and exceptional birdlife including the Verreaux’s eagle and numerous species of sunbirds and kingfishers.

Hiking trails Cape Point offers several magnificent trails for those wishing to venture beyond the tourist areas. The Lighthouse Trail leads to the old lighthouse with spectacular views. The Shipwreck Trail follows the wild Atlantic coastline past the remains of historic wrecks. For the more adventurous, the Cape of Good Hope Trail allows you to reach the Cape of Good Hope on foot through dense, fragrant fynbos vegetation.

The Cape of Good Hope A few kilometres north of Cape Point lies the famous Cape of Good Hope — often confused with Cape Point, they are in fact two distinct locations. The Cape of Good Hope is not the southernmost point of Africa (that is Cape Agulhas), but it is the southwesternmost point of the Cape Peninsula. A sign and a stone cairn make it a popular spot for photographs — it was here that Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488 and named the place the “Cape of Storms”, later renamed the “Cape of Good Hope” by the King of Portugal to encourage sailors to use this route to the Indies.

The vegetation All along the road leading to Cape Point, fynbos vegetation is ever-present — this endemic heathland shifts in colour with the seasons, dotted with wild proteas and ericas. During the austral spring (August to October), the flowering is spectacular, transforming the hillsides into carpets of colour.

Zeitz MOCAA — the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa — is unquestionably one of the most important and most spectacular museums on the continent. Inaugurated in September 2017 in the heart of Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, it has become in just a few years a major cultural institution on a global scale.

The architecture — a masterpiece by Heatherwick Even before considering the art, the building itself is a work of art. Zeitz MOCAA is housed in the port’s grain silos, built in 1921 and long since abandoned. British architect Thomas Heatherwick — the same visionary mind behind the Vessel in New York and the Garden Bridge in London — has achieved an absolutely breathtaking transformation. He hollowed out the 42 cylindrical silo tubes to create a cathedral-like central atrium, sculpted from raw concrete like an organic, luminous cavern. Natural light filters down from the glazed roof at the top and floods this vertiginous nine-storey space in an almost mystical way. The result is breathtaking — brutal and poetic all at once.

The collection Zeitz MOCAA houses the largest collection of contemporary African art and its diaspora in the world, with over 6,000 works. The collection belongs to Jochen Zeitz, former CEO of Puma and passionate art collector, who loaned it to the museum to form the institution’s beating heart. The artists represented come from across the African continent and its global diaspora — South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Congo, Egypt, as well as Europe, the Americas and Asia. It is an extraordinary window onto contemporary African creativity in all its diversity and vitality.

The exhibitions The museum spans 9,500 square metres across nine floors, with 80 galleries. The exhibitions blend the permanent collection with temporary shows that regularly bring internationally acclaimed artists to Cape Town. Zeitz MOCAA has quickly earned a reputation as a bold institution — one that takes risks and engages with political, social and identity-related questions with a frankness rarely seen in the museum world. Decolonisation, African identity, gender and postcolonialism are at the heart of its programming.

A powerful cultural symbol The opening of Zeitz MOCAA in 2017 was seen as a historic moment for African art — at last a museum of this scale, on the continent itself, dedicated exclusively to contemporary African creativity. Before it, the great collections of African art were held primarily by Western institutions — MoMA, the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern. Zeitz rebalanced something fundamental in the world’s cultural geography.

The shop and the rooftop The museum houses an excellent design shop featuring works by African artists and designers, art books and unique objects unavailable anywhere else. At the top of the building, the Silo Hotel — a luxury hotel integrated into the upper floors of the silos — has a rooftop bar with panoramic views over the harbour, Table Mountain and the ocean. Even if you are not staying at the hotel, the bar is open to visitors and offers one of the most spectacular vistas in all of Cape Town.

Bo-Kaap is one of Cape Town’s most photographed, most colourful and most historically rich neighbourhoods. Perched on the slopes of Signal Hill, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre, it is a place where visual beauty and historical depth overlap in a striking way.

The rainbow houses The image that has travelled the world is that of its cobbled lanes lined with houses painted in bold, vivid colours — sunshine yellow, cobalt blue, mint green, fuchsia pink, orange, turquoise. This is no tourist marketing exercise: the tradition of painting houses in bright colours stretches back centuries and is deeply rooted in the neighbourhood’s identity. Each owner chooses their own colour, and the overall result is extraordinarily joyful and vibrant, especially in contrast with the grey mountain behind and the blue ocean below. Wale Street and Chiappini Street are the most famous and most photographed.

A history of resistance and survival Bo-Kaap is far more than a colourful neighbourhood — it is one of the most living witnesses to South Africa’s tragic and complex history. The district is the cradle of the Cape Malay community, descendants of the slaves, craftsmen and political exiles brought by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar and other territories during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is one of the oldest Muslim communities in South Africa, and Bo-Kaap is its historical and spiritual heart.

During apartheid, Bo-Kaap was designated a Coloured area under the racial segregation laws, but paradoxically this classification protected the neighbourhood from demolition and allowed its community to remain together. Today the neighbourhood faces a different challenge: gentrification, which is driving property prices upward and threatening to displace families who have lived here for generations.

Cape Malay culture Over the centuries, the Cape Malay community developed an extraordinary syncretic culture, blending Malay, Indian, African and European influences. This culture is expressed through its cuisine — Cape Malay cooking is one of the most flavourful and distinctive in South Africa, with dishes such as bobotie (spiced minced meat topped with a savoury egg custard), bredie (slow-simmered stew), koesisters (coconut-coated sweet doughnuts) and sosaties (marinated skewers). It is also expressed through music — the ghoema beat, a traditional rhythm played on a barrel-shaped drum, is a Cape Malay invention. And through language — Afrikaans was largely shaped by the words and expressions brought by these communities.

The mosques Bo-Kaap is home to several historic mosques, including the Auwal Mosque, built in 1794 and considered the oldest mosque in South Africa. The five daily calls to prayer echo through the neighbourhood’s lanes and form part of its unique sonic atmosphere. On Fridays, the district comes alive with a particularly intense spiritual and community life.

The Bo-Kaap Museum The Bo-Kaap Museum, housed in one of the neighbourhood’s oldest buildings, traces the history of the Cape Malay community from slavery to the present day. It is modest in size but rich in emotion, offering a deeper understanding of the historical weight behind those colourful facades.

Gentrification — a real tension It would be incomplete to speak of Bo-Kaap without mentioning the current tension surrounding its future. The neighbourhood has become so popular with tourists and wealthy property buyers that prices have soared, threatening to displace families who have sometimes lived here for five or six generations. Residents have organised to resist — through protests, petitions and legal action — in order to preserve the community character and historical identity of the neighbourhood against property market pressures. It is a raw and painful debate that illustrates the post-apartheid tensions around housing, memory and identity in Cape Town.

Muizenberg is one of Cape Town’s most iconic and beloved beaches, known the world over for its colourful beach huts — one of the most reproduced images in all of South Africa.

The beach huts The iconic image of Muizenberg is its rows of beach huts — small wooden cabins painted in vivid, contrasting colours lined up directly on the sand. Red and white, yellow and blue, green and orange — each cabin is different, and together they form an absolutely delightful graphic composition, especially when photographed from above with the beach and ocean as a backdrop. These Victorian cabins date from the late 19th century and are listed as historical monuments. They encapsulate the relaxed seaside spirit of the Cape Peninsula.

A beginner surfer’s paradise Muizenberg is the go-to surf beach for beginners in South Africa, and one of the best in the world for learning. The reason is simple: its waves are long, consistent, not too powerful and form far from the shore, giving plenty of time to stand up on the board. Dozens of surf schools operate on the beach, and on weekends hundreds of beginners of all ages can be seen trying to find their feet under the supervision of patient instructors. The atmosphere is joyful, relaxed and welcoming — very different from more serious surf spots like Jeffreys Bay.

The warmer waters of False Bay Muizenberg sits on the False Bay coastline, facing east, which means its waters are influenced by the warm Indian Ocean current rather than the cold Benguela Current that sweeps the Atlantic coast. In practice, the water here is significantly warmer than at Clifton or Camps Bay — sometimes by as much as 5 to 8 degrees. For families with children and swimmers who would rather not freeze, Muizenberg is Cape Town’s beach of choice.

The history Muizenberg is one of the oldest seaside resorts in South Africa, enjoying its golden age in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was the favourite summer destination of the British colonial elite and wealthy Cape families. Cecil Rhodes, the mining magnate and colonial politician, owned a house here — Rust en Vreugde — where he died in 1902, and which is now preserved as a museum. The town also holds military historical significance: it was the site of the Battle of Muizenberg in 1795, in which the British seized control of the Cape Colony from the Batavians.

The surf and cultural scene Over the decades, Muizenberg has developed a distinctly bohemian surf culture. The neighbourhood around the beach, particularly York Road, is dotted with trendy cafés, relaxed restaurants, vintage surf shops and independent art galleries. It is a favourite haunt of young Capetonians, artists and surfers who appreciate its less polished atmosphere compared to more upmarket areas like Camps Bay. The Empire Café and the Muizenberg Beach Café are local institutions where people come as much to watch the surfers as to enjoy a good coffee.

Marine wildlife Muizenberg and False Bay are known to be frequented by great white sharks, drawn by the seal colony on nearby Seal Island. Monitoring and alert systems are in place on the beach, with colour-coded flags indicating the level of risk. Attacks remain rare but the presence of sharks is very real — something that does not prevent local surfers from heading out daily with remarkable composure.

The peninsula Muizenberg is an excellent base for exploring the Cape Peninsula southward — Kalk Bay with its picturesque fishing harbour and antique dealers, Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach, and then Cape Point. To the north, the road follows False Bay toward Somerset West and the Stellenbosch wine estates. It is an ideally positioned base from which to explore in every direction.

Kalk Bay — the unmissable neighbour Just two kilometres from Muizenberg lies Kalk Bay, one of the most charming coastal villages on the Cape. Its small artisan fishing harbour, seafood restaurants on the quayside, antique and bric-a-brac shops, and bohemian village atmosphere make it an essential stop on the same day as Muizenberg.