Let me introduce you to Cape Point, one of the most scenic areas in South Africa. It’s a peninsula just south of Cape Town that has a whole bunch of worthwhile stops: beautiful Hout Bay, views from Chapman’s Peak, the penguins at Boulders Beach, and of course stunning Cape of Good Hope at the very bottom of the continent. Here’s a map and a photo (that I didn’t take) looking north from Cape of Good Hope to give you a better idea of the geography:
A day trip to Cape Point is the highlight of South Africa for some visitors — the beauty of its mountains and beaches is reason enough to see it for yourself. Lots of tour companies run day trips out here from Cape Town and that’s an easy way to see the area. Since I’ve just picked up my rental car, I’m excited to have the freedom to pull over for photo ops whenever I turn a corner and go, “Oooo, ahhh!!” … which happens often.
Today I’ll detail my first few hours driving to vistas around Cape Point. Tomorrow I’ll shows off penguins frolicking at Boulders Beach, and finish on Friday with the Cape of Good Hope.
A preview of things to come…
But let’s start at the very beginning.
After departing Stellenbosch very early in the morning, I pass through Cape Town and opt for a scenic drive along the coast instead of going straight down to Cape Point. It’s a sleepy Saturday morning and the roads are clear; I’m able to pull over and take photos on roads that will get quite busy later in the day. This is supremely alluring Clifton beach:
And just south of that is Camps Bay, an area I wrote about in greater detail here. It’s got a Santa Barbara upscale beach town vibe.
I press on further south, continuing to pull over whenever the spirit moves me. This rocky beach looks up towards Lion’s Head, a prominent peak in Cape Town right near my hostel. That mountain chain on the right is the Twelve Apostles, which I first viewed from Table Mountain.
The road curves along this bluff jutting into the ocean. Each beach town — one after the other — continues to impress.
Hout Bay is legendary for its scenery… but the clouds are closing in fast. I’m bummed to be trapped in bad weather, but the app on my phone tells me it will clear up within the hour. I don’t have time to sit in a coffeeshop and wait it out so I press on and hope for the best.
There’s a place to pull over and admire Hout Bay from above. I hear chatter from fellow tourists that whales are visible in the area — it’s September, high season to spot these beautiful creatures as they make their way along the coast of South Africa.
I look closer… and spot the fin and side of a whale just barely breaching the surface:
Just beyond Hout Bay is an area called Chapman’s Peak. I pay the toll (equivalent of a few dollars) and begin the long, winding road. Again, the weather is disappointing, but I take comfort knowing it should clear up soon.
On one of many narrow curves, I pull over for a photo op with my rental car. Even in cloudy weather this landscape is impressive and, if anything, the bright greens pop even more in diffused light.
See those big wire fences in the photo below? They catch falling rocks so that cars can pass by below without getting clobbered.
Shortly after passing Chapman’s Peak, I continue south towards Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town — an area where penguins roam on the sand among giant boulders, and I can’t wait to show you those images tomorrow.
I have a final few photos taken just south of Simon’s Town that further encapsulate the the beauty of driving Cape Point… and you’ll notice the clouds are gone! Hallelujah.
So many more photos to share from Cape Point in the next few days, but hopefully this chapter has made a solid first impression. I can’t overstate how worthwhile it is to do a day trip here.
