Cape of Good Hope – A day trip across the Cape Peninsula
The Cape of Good Hope – One of the most magical places on Earth
The Cape of Good Hope on the Cape Peninsula south of Cape Town is one of the most magical places on Earth. Almost every seasoned traveller has heard of this infamous, storm-battered cape at the most south-westerly tip of Africa, where countless ships have found a watery grave and the cold waters of the Atlantic mix with the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. However, visitors are greeted by calm seas for most of the year, with views stretching for miles.
If you are planning on visiting the Cape of Good Hope, you better make a day trip out it. The Cape might only be a mere 50 kms from Cape Town, but you wouldn’t want to miss out on all the gems along the way – and there are plenty.
In summer (October – March), the gates of the national park are open from 6 am-6 pm and in the winter months (April – September) from 7 am-5 pm. For adults, the entrance fee is 360 Rand (about 20 Euros) and kids pay 180 Rand (about 10 Euro) for the day.
An absolute highlight: Helicopter flight over the Cape Peninsula
Starting from the Waterfront, you will fly along the coast via Camps Bay and Hout Bay to Cape Point. On the way back, you might spot whales or sharks along the east side of the Cape Peninsula.
The Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Table Mountain National Park
The famous Cape is surrounded by a spectacular nature reserve of almost 8,000 hectares, known as Table Mountain National Park. In the midst of the reserve lives a variety of wildlife, such as baboons, zebras, ostriches and various antelope and sea bird species, only to mention a few. If plants are more your thing, you’ve come to the right spot. Being part of the Cape Floristic Region, the world’s smallest, yet second most diverse floral kingdom, the Cape boasts over 1,100 plant species belonging mostly to the indigenous fynbos group, which makes the Cape more diverse in plant life than the whole of Great Britain.
One of the must-sees is the old lighthouse on top of Cape Point, a roughly 250 m high cliff. If you don’t feel like walking up the scenic, but slightly steep pathway, you can take the Flying Dutchman funicular. But during high season, you might want to buy your tickets online, just to avoid the long queues.
About 1 kilometre from Cape Point – as the crow flies – lies the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-westerly point of the continent, where visitors can take the famous souvenir photo with the wooden “CAPE OF GOOF HOPE” sign. On warm summer days, hundreds of tourists flock there to visit this unique Cape Town landmark.
The Bestseller: Cape Point & Penguins – A Day Tour for Explorers
On this 8-hour tour in a larger group, you will drive along the False Bay coast road through Muizenberg and Kalk Bay to the penguins at Boulders Beach. There, you will have plenty of time to watch the cute animals up close. At the Cape of Good Hope, apart from the pure photo stops, you will get enough time to experience the fantastic landscape during a hike.
Those who prefer a private tour will find what they are looking for in the second offer.
Possible stops along the way to the Cape of Good Hope
It is best to start your journey travelling through the southern suburbs of Cape Town on the M3 and along the False Bay on the Eastern side of the peninsula and return along the Western side via Hout Bay. Doing your round trip in this direction, will guarantee you sun for most of the day. If you travel the other way around, you will end up in the shadow of Table Mountain in the afternoon and it can get colder than you think, especially if there’s a chilly wind blowing. Muizenberg, a surfer’s paradise with a beautiful long white beach, makes a great first stop on your trip. From there, you follow the coastal road to the Cape of Good Hope. Remember to keep your eyes peeled: There is always a good chance of spotting whales, sharks or dolphins in the sea.
The road winds along the False Bay coast, South Africa’s second largest bay with a diameter of roughly 40 km, travelling through picturesque villages such as Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town. Each little town features charming shops and cafés inviting visitors to stop for a coffee or stroll along the beach, while enjoying a great view of the foothills of the Table Mountain massif and the ocean.
Simon’s Town’s architecture still exudes an old English charm and if you are a fan of big ships, you might want to stop at the harbour to look at the South African Navy ships. But Simon’s Town has another highlight to offer for your trip: Boulders Beach, home of the adorable African penguins. You can get close to these highly endangered birds at a protected section of the beach, where thousands of pairs breed. They are truly delightful to watch!
After Simon’s Town, you see vast stretches of fynbos fields all the way to Cape Point, with only a few house dotted here and there. At Millers Point, holidaymakers usually meet the first troop of baboons, which like to get up close and personal with visitors. Always keep a safe distance and make sure no food is visible.
Smitswinkel Bay is located about one kilometre from the entrance of the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. Enjoy breath-taking views of False Bay from the vantage point there; you might even spot a whale.
On your way back, be sure to stop above the white beach of Noordhoek for a photo, then continue along the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive with plenty of small bays to stop for more stunning photos, drive through Hout Bay to get to Camps Bay, Cape Town’s suburb of the rich and famous.
Visitors can choose between half-day and full-day tours to the Cape of Good Hope. We recommend doing a full-day tour so you have more time to enjoy the beauty and all the little gems the Cape Peninsula has to offer.
The short version: Half-day tour to the Cape of Good Hope
On this 4.5-hour excursion you will drive via Camps Bay and Chapmans Peak Drive straight to the Cape of Good Hope. There you will have enough time to admire the lighthouse at Cape Point and take a photo of the famous sign at the Cape of Good Hope.
How the Cape of Good Hope got its name
The origin of the name “Cape of Good Hope” cannot be determined with a one hundred percent certainty. However, there are some stories of how the name came to be.
In 1488, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Diaz sailed around this striking cliff on his secret mission to find the sea route to India. During his circumnavigation, he got caught in one of the violent storms typical of this area, which, over the centuries, caused hundreds of ships to drift against the cliffs and ultimately sink.
Diaz allegedly named this rocky point “Cabo das Tormentas”, which can be aptly translated as “Cape of Storms”. In the end, Diaz failed his mission, but the Portuguese king was impressed with his progress nonetheless and renamed the cape “Cabo de Boa Esperança”, meaning “Cape of Good Hope”, since they were full of hope to find the sea route to India, which they did, ten years later.
Something special: E-bike tour to the Cape Peninsula
On this 7-hour tour you will explore the Cape Peninsula not only from the inside of a car, but also by bicycle. In the middle of the nature reserve of the Cape of Good Hope you will ride about 20 kilometres on an e-bike and possibly encounter ostriches, mountain zebras and baboons up close.
