The Best of Cape Town, South Africa

South Africa has been a dream destination of mine for some time now and after spending nearly two months exploring the ins and outs of Cape Town, it has quickly become one of my favorite countries that I have visited. Cape Town is huge and although I saw a lot, there are still a plethora of things I want to do during my next visit. The beauty of this place and its people have truly stolen my heart and I already cannot wait to return.  Below I have put together a list of my favorite bits of Cape Town. I hope you enjoy it and add some of these to your itinerary when planning your trip!

The Best Beaches

Muizenberg Beach

Known for their colorful houses that line the beach and their surfers corner filled with surf shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants, this beach is located about 30 minutes from the city center.

Boulders Beach

Located in Simons Town, this beach is also a penguin colony. Enjoy an afternoon of swimming and tanning with the penguins.

Clifton Beach

Hands down my favorite beach in Cape Town. Clifton is made up of four different beaches. Every Thursday, beach goers gather to play volleyball on the beach until the sun goes down.

Camps Bay Beach

Located in one of the richest parts of Cape Town lays this stunning beach that’s lined with palm trees and different cafes and restaurants.

The Best Spots to Watch the Sunset

Chapman’s Peak

Located between Noordhoek and Hout Bay is my absolute favorite spot to catch the sunset. The views are incredible along the highway up and they get even better when you hike down the mountain into a cave like structure. The sea is below you and the mountains are above you. It’s extremely difficult to describe the beauty of this place.

Signal Hill

Located in Cape Town, this spot has incredible views as well. As the sun goes down, you get to watch the night in the city come to life.

The Best Things to Do

Take a surf lesson with the locals

As Muizenberg is known for their surfing, it’s only fitting to get a lesson from the pros. There are many local surf shops that offer lessons but I recommend heading to The Local Surf Lounge Academy for all first timers.

Explore the Kristenbosch Botanical Gardens

For a small fee, explore these gardens and all of the beauty it entails. Make sure to walk along the tree canopy walkway for some amazing views.

Experience a soccer game at Cape Town Stadium

This makes for a great outing to experience some of the sports culture in Cape Town.

Have date night at the Galileo Open Air Cinema

At the Kristenbosch Botanical Gardens they have a pop up outdoor movie experience. Grab your friends or partner and enjoy a night watching a movie under the stars.

Book a tour of Robben Island

Explore the Robben Island Museum and learn about the history behind it all.

Go to a surf competition

Check out the local surf competitions located at a few different beaches in Cape Town, including Muizenberg Beach and Long Beach.

The Best Markets

Blue Bird Market

Located in Muizenberg, this market is open every Thursday and Friday from 4pm-10pm.

Muizenberg Flea Market

Also located in Muizenberg, this market is open every Sunday from 8:30am-5pm.

Green Market Square

Located in Cape Town, this market is open daily from 9am-6pm.

Bay Harbour Market

Located in Hout Bay, this weekend market is open on Fridays from 5pm-9pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am-4pm.

Mojo Market

Located in the Sea Point area, this market is open daily from 8am-12am.

Oranjezicht Market

Located at the V&A Waterfront, this market is open on Saturdays from 8:15am-2pm and Sundays from 9am-2pm. During the summer months, they are also opened on Wednesday nights from 5pm-9pm.

The Best Views

Muizenberg Peak

Hike to the top of Muizenberg Peak to get some of the best views in all of Muizenberg. This hike took about an hour up and an hour back. We went up for the sunset, but if you do this make sure you leave enough time or else you will be hiking down in the dark.

Table Mountain

Whereas many people decide to hike up Table Mountain, they also offer cable car rides to the top. We did this one evening for sunset and the 360 picturesque views were absolutely unreal.

The Rock

This viewpoint overlooks the Clifton and Camps Bay beaches.

Kloof Corner

One of the easier trails on Table Mountain. This hike was about 30 minutes to get up and 30 minutes to get back down. This hike was basically stairs all the way to the top, but the views made it all worth it.

The Best Areas to Explore

Sea Point

Walk along the promenade and watch people paragliding off of the mountain.

V&A Waterfront

Shop until you drop along the waterfront and be sure to check out the Cape Wheel.

Kalk Bay

Shops, eats, and natural swimming pools are all located in this area.

BoKaap

Visit the colorful houses that tell an incredible story.

Fish Hoek

A beach town that makes for a great afternoon visit.

Hout Bay

Walk along the harbor and you may just run into some seal friends.

The Best Eats

Cape to Cuba

Located in Kalk Bay, Cape to Cuba is a Cuban experience that you do not want to miss.

Fat Cactus

Located in the Gardens area, Fat Cactus is a Mexican restaurant that has options for all food lovers.

Hang Ten Cafe

Located in Muizenberg, Hang Ten Cafe has some of my favorite vegan food in all of Cape Town.

The Best Night Life

Long Street

If you are looking for party central, look no further than Long Street. Located in town, Long Street has a variety of different clubs and bars to choose from.

First Thursdays

Every first Thursday of the month, Cape Town has a huge street festival where they block off the streets and allow visitors to visit galleries, restaurants, and shops until late.

The Best of the Garden Route

Through my volunteer program, I booked a 3 day Garden Route tour. If you are planning a visit to Cape Town, definitely do not miss out on doing a tour of your own! Here’s everything we got up to during our three days.

Knysna Elephant Sanctuary

Tsitsikamma Falls Adventure Zip-lining

Bloukrans Bungee Jumping

Knysna Head Viewpoint

Mosaic Village & Outdoor Market

Map of Africa Viewpoint

Cliffy’s Cave

Botlierskop Game Reserve

The Best of the Best

Whereas all of the places I have visited while in Cape Town were amazingly beautiful, the people I have met along the way were the best bit of my entire trip. I just want to thank these beautiful souls for making my 2 months in South Africa some that I will remember for a lifetime. I will cherish these memories forever. All my love to these strangers who quickly turned into friends <3