GRAND PENINSULA TOUR
It’s a stunning Cape Town morning as we head off on our grand Peninsula Tour. The sun is rising in the East and casts lovely shadows over Clifton and Camps Bay as we travel through these beautiful upmarket suburbs of Cape Town. The ocean today is an amazing aquamarine shade and the beach just seems so much whiter and brighter. Everybody is out jogging, cycling and others just going for an early morning stroll before they head off to work.
We take the scenic route along Victoria Road and just after the 12 Apostles Hotel we make our first stop. The mountains behind us are majestic, the view over Camps Bay, with a little fog hanging over the bay is exquisite and Lions Head stands out, like a King, the way it’s supposed to be. After taking photos its back on the road as we head towards Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak. Hout Bay is a fishing village situated about 20 minutes from Cape Town. Hout Bay has one of the busiest harbours in the Western Cape with an established tuna, snoek and crayfish industry. The harbour is home to the Hout Bay Yacht Club, several really good restaurants and shops that sell fresh fish directly to the public. There is also the opportunity to do some curio shopping and then jump on board a boat and visit Duiker Island (also known as Seal Island). The trip lasts about an hour and you get to see the Cape Fur Seal in their own surroundings, swimming and fishing and just lazing around.
Once we leave Hout Bay we set out along Chapman’s Peak, a 9km scenic route with 114 curves that links Cape Town to the South Peninsula. We make two stops along the route as the photographic opportunities are phenomenal. Once we reach the top of Chapman’s Peak we stop again and you get a 180 degree view from 593m above sea level. Cape Point Vineyards welcomes us to a Sauvignon Wine Tasting that is truly enjoyable. We pass through the town of Noordhoek with its stunning long white beach. There are a number of farms that offer horse riding opportunities on the beach and it’s an amazing experience.
Our next stop is Boulders Beach Penguin Colony in Simon’s Town, where you can watch the African penguins from the boardwalk or swim with them at the Beach. Once again we hit the road and it’s off to the Cape Of Good Hope Nature Reserve. We drive all along the ocean which once again offers some stunning stops for photographs and you might spot the Chacma Baboons alongside the road as well. We drive through to Cape Point firstly and take the funicular to the lighthouse – the views are incredible. We decide to walk down and it’s a little hot today, but the walk and the scenery is well worth it. We grab a bite at the café and admire the views from each part of the mountain, it’s beautiful.
Then it’s off to Cape of Good Hope (the south-westernmost point of the African continent), where supposedly the two oceans meet, but don’t. After taking numerous photos and admiring the fauna and flora and the ocean, we have to head out again. We drive through Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay and Muizenberg and the road takes us to Constantia. We arrive at Groot Constantia, the mother of wines estates in South Africa. We enjoy a cellar tour, wine tasting and vineyard tour. You have the option to eat at one of the two restaurants on the Estate and can stop in at the Iziko museums before bidding this fine estate farewell.
Our last stop for the day is Signal Hill. There is a road to the summit and that vantage point provides spectacular views over Cape Town and surroundings, especially at dawn or sunset.
