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Home - City Guide - Cape Town - Excursions | ||
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Excursions For a Half Day Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve: This windswept peninsula, where the cold Benguela Current and the warm Mozambique Current meet, is the mythical meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, although the physical meeting place is actually 100km (62 miles) to the east. The nature reserve is part of Cape Peninsula National Park (tel: (021) 713 0260; fax: (021) 713 0604; e-mail: capepeninsula@parks-sa.co.za; web site: www.capepeninsula.co.za), located only one hour from the city centre. It is home to a splendid array of wildlife, including zebra, lynx, bontebok and baboons, and some of the rarest plants on earth. A fully licensed restaurant (tel: (021) 780 9200) perches on the cliff above the Atlantic Ocean. Constantia Wine Route and Historical Tour: Only 15 minutes' from the city centre, the Constantia Wine Route (tel: (021) 794 5128) offers a handy alternative to a trip further into the country. The area is home to five of the Cape's top estates: Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Constantia Uitsig and Steenberg. The Groot Constantia complex of farm buildings and museums gives a fascinating insight into early colonial life at the Cape. There is a restaurant (tel: (021) 794 6255) and a tavern on the premises. Museum entrance: R10. Atlantic Seaboard: In a self-drive vehicle, Cape Town offers magnificent sightseeing. Signal Hill Road is one of the finest panoramic roads in Cape Town, with sweeping views over the City, Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Robben Island and the Atlantic Seaboard. Victoria Drive winds along the side of the sea and below the rugged granite outcrops called the Twelve Apostles, before climbing the hill above Llandudno, and then winding gently down into Hout Bay, home to a number of attractions, not least of which is its laid-back, horsey lifestyle. The fishing harbour is home to Mariner's Wharf (tel: (021) 790 1100), a mini-waterfront with great seafood restaurants, bistros, gift shops and live lobsters for sale by the kilo. The main road south out of Hout Bay leads to a spectacular viewpoint on Chapman's Peak Drive. For a Full Day A tour of the Boland ('uplands' or 'toplands') reveals a world of dramatic mountain ranges, crystal clear rivers teeming with trout, and the Western Cape's bucolic winelands, dotted with historic wine estates, many open to visitors. Somerset West: Half an hour from the city centre (the R44 off the N2 highway), Somerset West is a bustling town that nestles in a basin created by the towering peak of Helderberg ('Clear Mountain') and the Hottentots Holland Mountain range. Vergelegen (Lourensford Road) was built in 1700 by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel and is one of the most gracious and perfectly located of all the old Cape Dutch homesteads, with wine tasting and a fine restaurant. The library contains rare volumes of early Africana (tel: (021) 851 7060). The Helderberg Nature Reserve (tel: (021) 851 4022) is to the left just before the turn-off to Vergelegen. This wildflower reserve has several kilometres of hiking trails and paths with magnificent views over the Helderberg Basin. False Bay: The Gordon's Bay turn-off from the N2 east of Somerset West follows the main road onto Clarence Drive, a spectacular corniche road that curls and dips along the eastern arm of False Bay. This is one of the best areas for whale-watching in season (June to November). This drive continues to Betty's Bay, a small seaside hamlet. The turn-off to Stony Point at the entrance to Betty's Bay leads to one of only two land-based African Penguin colonies in Africa. In the mountains above Betty's Bay are the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, where tailored lawns gradually give way to a network of wild mountain paths and deep gorges with spectacular waterfalls. Stellenbosch: South Africa's second oldest town (1679), located on the R310 off the N2 highway (or on the R304 or R44 off the N1 highway), was named for Dutch governor Simon van der Stel. It is one of the best preserved of all South African towns, and a stroll around it is a walk through Cape history. Church and Dorp Streets are the best-preserved sections of the town, with a number of buildings dating back to the 1700s. On the corner of Church and Ryneveld Streets, the Stellenbosch Village Museum begins. This consists of four buildings over two blocks: Schreuder House (1709), Bletterman House (1789), Grosvenor House (1782) and OM Bergh House (1850). Further information is available from the Tourist Office (tel: (021) 883 3584) or Stellenbosch Wine Route Information (tel: (021) 886 4310). Franschhoek: South Africa's 'French quarter', Franschhoek (literally 'French Corner') was named for the French Huguenots who fled Catholic persecution and began arriving at the Cape in 1688. Today, the valley is famous for its wine and good food. The village is ideal for walking and exploring, and history buffs should also take in the Huguenot Memorial, which traces the flight of the Huguenots and their history in South Africa. The main street is lined with antique shops, small galleries, coffee shops and restaurants. Tourist information is available (tel: (021) 876 3603). A short drive east over the Franschhoek Pass leads to magnificent views over the valley, while the R303 west passes the gates of Victor Verster Prison, where Nelson Mandela walked to freedom on 11 February 1990. Boschendal Estate, on Pniel Road, off the R310 exit from the village, is one of the Cape's finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture, and a working wine estate with tastings and sales on site. Summer picnics (November to April) at Le Pique Nique on the lawns are a Cape Town tradition, while the manor house is a museum reflecting early life at the Cape. There is also a formal restaurant and infomal dining at Le CafÉ. Reservations are essential (tel: (021) 874 1252). Winelands: After decades of political isolation when South African wines were guiltily sipped abroad by boycott-busting oenophiles, Cape wine has now burst onto the world scene. The good news is that the Cape is awash in cheaper, quaffable wines whose prices will delight the pockets of rich tourists. There are ten officially designated 'wine routes', incorporating hundreds of wine estates open to the public for sales and tastings, within easy distance of Cape Town. The best way to see the winelands is on a guided tour. For more information: Constantia Wine Route (tel: (021) 794 5128); Durbanville Wine Route (tel: (083) 310 1228); Helderberg Wine Route (tel: (021) 847 1334); Stellenbosch Wine Route (tel: (021) 886 4310); Vignerons de Franschhoek (tel: (021) 876 3062). Specialist tour operators include: Vineyard Ventures, specialising in small groups (tel: (021) 434 8888); Capevine (tel: (021) 913 6611); Window on Cape Wine, expert wine tasters specialising in small groups/individuals, but also cater for large groups and conferences (tel: (021) 889 1002). |