Still intoxicated from the physical beauty and ‘grape juice products’ of the Cape Winelands, we set out for another gorgeous road trip from Cape Town. This time we headed south of the city to explore Cape Peninsula, an area of great diversity where the coastal route took us from a scenic fishing village to the jagged south-western extremity of the African continent. If you like places where mountains and ocean collide, you will find this region spectacular.
A cloudy morning in HOUT BAY, our first stop on our route. This picturesque fishing harbor is center of the local crayfish industry. We read that it had some of the best fish and chips in the world; alas, we got there way too early to sample any.
The town beautifully lies in wind-protected bay surrounded by dramatic mountains.
Hout Bay is also a home to large seal colony. We took a short cruise to Dulker Island, also known as Seal Island, to have a closer look of the delightful colony.
There were indoor and outdoor markets along the harbour selling local crafts. We were fascinated by the stall selling painted and carved ostrich eggs.
From Hout Bay, the road climbed over a mountain and we had this breathtaking view of the sea and the clouds as we were going up.
We passed by this lovely beach-side suburb of Muizenberg. It is the surfing capital of South Africa.
We reached the pretty Boulder Beach, famous for the breeding colony of the endangered African Penguins. It is also one of the few mainland colonies.
You will see the penguins just hanging out or roaming freely on the shore, nonchalant to the attention of the visitors around them. You can get upclose and personal with them and even swim with them. However, don’t disturb them or they will bite you.
The colony was started in 1983 when pair of penguins were spotted on this part of the beach. It was then declared a protected area and the population of the colony soared to 1,200 breeding pairs today. (There is an entrance fee which goes towards the conservation of the African penguins that live here).
This little girl watched in awe as the penguins endearingly interacted with each other.
Some of the beautiful homes that surround Boulder Beach. The area also has nice array of restaurants and good for a lunch stop.
We reached the Cape of Good Hope, the south-western most extremity of the African continent. It is a natural reserve within Table National Park and features rugged and unspoiled scenery.
The rough water of Atlantic Ocean crashes into the shore of Cape of Good Hope. The Portuguese explorers once named it the Cape of Storm because of its wild sea. It was given its current name by another Portuguese explorer because its discovery gave good hope that India can be reached by sea from Europe.
The Cape of Good Hope is home to several species. We saw some antelopes and elands roaming and grazing on the mountainside.
And we saw this ostrich – whose head was facing its back – hanging out on the ocean side.
Situated a little over a mile from Cape of Good Hope is Cape Point, a promontory in the southeastern point of Cape Peninsula and where the scenery was dramatic and romantic.
The cliff in Cape Point.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to visit the famous lighthouse of Cape Point as it was already closed for visit when we arrived. There is also a furnicular that you can take up to the viewpoint next to the lighthouse and there are two restaurants that offer panoramic view of the water and the cliff.
The visiting hours in Boulder Beach, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point vary in seasons. Check this link for gate hours and other information.
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