Summer Time In Cape Town: To Do List
By Saskia Carelse
So, it's Summer in Cape Town, again! Unlike most of South Africa, Cape Town's Summers are dry and hot. This results in people flocking to the beaches every chance they get (this includes me, too).
While Cape Town's beaches are absolutely a great place to be, I'd like to spend this Summer season doing different things. Let's shake things up!
So I've compiled a to-do-list for this Summer in Cape Town.
Watch The Sunrise From Devil's Peak
Devil's Peak is part of Table Mountain. Devil's Peak stands 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) high, and the ascent is pleasant and beautiful, specifically during the warmer and drier season of summer. There are a lot of easy walks on the lower slopes of the mountain.
Bring along a picnic to enjoy when you reach the summit. Watching the early morning sunrise from the summit is an absolute treat as you take in the breath taking view of the sunlight lighting up the city and its surrounds.
Explore Cape Town's Galleries On First Thursdays
With the night chill of winter and spring now gone, staying outdoors till late in Cape Town during summer is a pleasure! Take full advantage of this by exploring the cultural art galleries, restaurants and museums in the city centre which stay open till late every first Thursday of the month.
Browsers can start at any gallery on the map, work their way around in any order they like and also pop into one of the many great places to eat and drink along the route. Visit www.first-thursdays.co.za to find the date for the next event and to view the map of participating venues.
Go Sightseeing On The City Sightseeing Bus
The hop-on-hop-off City Sightseeing Bus takes you directly to the top destinations in Cape Town, while giving you the opportunity to see various parts of the city and beautiful views. There are four main routes with up to 27 stops at the iconic destinations and attractions the Mother City has to offer.
The reason we'd recommend going on the City Sightseeing Bus in Summer, is because you'll have the exciting opportunity to sit on the open-roofed top deck without the worry of rain.
Check out their website to book your tickets and find out more!
Visit The Beerhouse
The Beerhouse in Longstreet is the perfect place to sip on a refreshing cold one during the summer months. We can all agree that there's nothing better than cooling down with a beer or 2 at the end of a hot day. Well, Beerhouse is well known for its massive craft beer selection, delicious pub food, and great vibe. Grab a table on their balcony to feel to breeze and watch the hustle and bustle of Long Street below.
They have 99 bottles of beer on their wall, and 22 of the finest beers on tap. As for their food, they've got a wide selection, from popcorn and chicken wings to burgers and bunny chows!
Stroll Through Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is recognised as the most beautiful garden in Africa. It is set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and making a day's excursion out of this destination is priceless.
Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants. The Kirstenbosch estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse fynbos flora and natural forest. Bring along a picnic basket to enjoy on the grass or visit the restaurant. A great idea would be to take a hike along one of the forest/mountain trails, too. The kids will have a whale of a time at Kirstenbosch Gardens, running around, playing in the streams and just letting loose. We dare you to join them!
On Sundays during the summer months from December to March, musical sunset concerts are held on the lawns at Kirstenbosch.
Learn To Surf At Muizenberg Beach
Yes, I know I said I wanted to avoid doing the whole beach thing but I also said I want to shake things up and do different activities than my norm - and I've never surfed before in my life.
If learning to surf has always been a dream of yours, then heading down to Gary's Surf School on Muizenberg Beach is where you need to be this Summer in Cape Town - in fact, you can take these surfing lessons any time of the year! Muizenberg's waves are fairly gentle compared to Cape Town's other beaches, making it an ideal spot for beginner surfers.
http://www.garysurf.com/
Sea Point Promenade
Enjoy this ±7km stretch of pavement that winds along the coast between Mouille Point and Sea Point. Along the way, there are various activities one can do. There are various parks, sight-seeing benches, a putt-putt course, rock pools and public Olympic-sized swimming pools. This promenade is extremely popular for joggers/cyclists/strollers/dog-walkers/rollerbladers. The promenade is a huge desired destination during summer in Cape Town and mobile ice-cream vendors sell treats on sunny days.
Hike In The Moonlight Up Lions Head
Now this is an absolute MUST. Get a couple of friends involved and hike up Lion's Head on the evening of a full moon. Remember to bring head lamps for when it gets dark.
The hike up is fairly easy and takes about 2 hours, depending on how fast you go.
While I've done a few of these activities in the past, I'd love to do them again! As for the ones I have not yet done (e.g. learn to surf, watch the sunrise from Devil's Peak and go on the red City Sightseeing Bus), I'm so excited to experience Cape Town in a different way.
Who will be doing my to-do-list with me this Summer in Cape Town? And who has any suggestions to add to this list?
If you're staying with us at Riverlodge Backpackers, we will happily organise any transport you may need to and from these places.
Written by Saskia Carelse
(All photos sourced from Google Images)
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