Cape Town & Peninsula – GREENWOOD GUIDES

EXPLORE CAPE TOWN & THE PENINSULA

CAPE TOWN & THE PENINSULA

Route 1

Discover Cape Town’s vibrant culture and ethical experiences by hiking Table Mountain with a FairTrade guide, shopping chic independent boutiques, and savoring Fair Trade coffee. Dive into history at the Castle of Good Hope and Robben Island Museum, dine at sustainable bistros, and enjoy wine tastings with black female winemakers. Explore urban art in Woodstock, dance to pantsula at Mzoli’s, snorkel with seals in Hout Bay, and immerse yourself in the soulful sounds of a Xhosa Gospel choir in Constantia.

DAY 1 – CAPE TOWN CITY CENTRE

Thrilling, laid back, chaotic, refined – Cape Town is all of these and the contradictions don’t end there. The layers of history in Cape Town stretching right back to the San people and coming right up to date with the winter sun residences of the jet-set make this a city where nothing is what it seems and innumerable visits uncover surprising contrasts every time. Small wonder then that it’s the continent’s most visited city.

What to do

Where to eat

Where to stay

Art Trails
The Fynbos Guy
Trascending History Tours
Robben Island Museum
Para Pax Paragliding

Miller’s Thumb
Manna
Aubergine
Societi Bistro

Parker Cottage
Rouge on Rose
Acorn House
Lezard Bleu
Redbourne Hill Drop
The Grand Daddy
Bayview
Once in Cape Town
The Townhouse Hotel

Table Mountain

Of course you have to go up! But if you don’t want the queues of the Cablecar, walk up with Dominic Chadbon of www.TheFynbosGuy.co.za. You’ll get a fantastic tour of the mountain from its history to its flora and fauna and a workout adjusted to your fitness level at the same time.

Zeitz Moccaa

This recently opened museum to modern African art at the V&A is sensational from every aspect: architecturally, environmentally, curatorially. If you’d really like to get to grips with it, ask Diana Williams of www.Art-Trails.co.za to show you round.

Castle Of Good Hope

Often overlooked as simply an old building encircled by snarling traffic, a visit to the Castle with www.TranscendingHistory Tours.co.za will completely alter your perception of this fascinating building, not least its connection to the San people.

Robben Island

Needing very little introduction as the ‘University of the ANC’ and thereby perhaps the very making (in his own words) of the late, great, Nelson Mandela, Robben Island can be a bit of a disappointment on the usual public tour. If you’d like to skip that and see it privately away from the crowds, try David Bristow at www.fivestarguides.co.za

$$$ = LUXURY

$$ = MODERATE

$ = BUDGET

Aubergine $$$

Harold Bresselschmidt, owner, founder and chef of this fabulous five-star Cape Town flag ship, has been in the food business longer than pretty much any restaurant in the city – expect a superb wine list (the wine cellar actually sits on the floor of the restaurant) and wonderous ways with modern cuisine.

Societi Bistro $$

Converted from the former home of one of Cape Town’s grande dames, you cannot go wrong with this delightfully simple bistro menu and heritage building combination. Permanently full with locals and visitors alike, Societi’s relatively recent emergence on the scene is sustained year after year.

Biesmillah $

Clocking up over 25 years in the prettiest street in the Bo Kaap, the Osman family have kept Biesmillah true to its roots day in and day out: expect Cape Malay cuisine (spicy but not hot fish and mutton curries in particular) and no alcohol, coupled with a delightfully ‘all comers welcome’ approach to hospitality.

The-Townhouse-Hotel-in-Cape-Town-City-Centre-will-close-on-March-31-Picture-The-Townhouse-Hotel

DAY 2 – CAMPS BAY

Just over Signal Hill and not even ten minutes away from Cape Town’s City Centre lies the Atlantic Seaboard and Camps Bay: this wonderful stretch of coastline was for many years considered to be a hinterland but now plays host to the most popular city beaches and has the vertiginous backdrop of the 12 Apostles, the side buttresses of Table Mountain. This area is all about the beach, glamourous lifestyles and glorious views.

What to do

Where to eat

Where to stay

Cycle along the Promenade
Kayaking with dolphins
Paragliding from Signal Hill
Climb Lion’s Head or Pipe Track Walk

The Codfather
The Duchess of Wisbeach
La Parada

Sea Star Rocks
Ambiente
Ocean View House

Cycle the Prom

There are few places in Cape Town that are genuinely as cosmopolitan as Seapoint Prom: this wonderful stretch of seawall is over 6km long and you can walk, jog, run or stroll surrounded by Capetonians of all shapes, sizes and colours. Our suggestion is to rent a bike from www.UpCycles.co.za and go cruising!

Kayak with dolphins

The Atlantic Seaboard is lined with kelp forest which make it a wonderfully diverse marine environment, harbouring all sorts of wildlife both great and small. If the wind’s light, head down to www.KasKaziKayaks.co.za and go out for the afternoon with them.

Paraglide from Signal Hill

There are few experiences that match flying silently from the slopes of Signal Hill, over the million-dollar mansions that line the coast and then coming rest gently on the grassy lawn outside the Winchester Mansions hotel. It’s both a sedate and exhilarating experience with www.para-paxparagliding.co.za

Lion’s Head or Pipe Track Walk

If you like views and natural splendour, we’d argue that both are in such abundance on both these walks that you may never match them again: try if you can to catch the dawn or full moon on Lion’s Head or if this is too vertiginous, the Pipe Track walk that shadows the Twelve Apostles instead.

$$$ = LUXURY

$$ = MODERATE

$ = BUDGET

The Codfather $$$

Definitely on the beaten track this one and with good reason: it’s one of Cape Town’s best loved seafood joints (now with a sushi bar). There’s no menu, just an enormous glass fridge and an army of grill chefs behind. Your plate arrives with no fanfare at all (this is not a starched white table linen place) but the taste sensation is, well, sensational.

La Parada $$

The sensationally situated La Parada lies right on Victoria Road, Camps Bay with lovely views of the beach and the pretty people parading past – expect a great selection of tapas, cocktails and drinks but also a substantial seafood menu. You’ll love the Cuban tiles and the laid back service. A classy beach bar with food to match.

Duchess of Wisbeach $

Character and atmosphere in abundance at the Duchess, hidden down a back street in Seapoint. The food here is not an after thought but it is perhaps less important than the theatre and exuberant décor of the place which is just so much fun. Expect superb fish, chips and mushy peas or a big ol’ steak pie. Dogs welcome!