If you are looking for a lively city life, historical and natural landmarks at a stone throw from town, coupled with a prime food scene and mild climate, 48 hours in Cape Town should be on top of your list. We visited in September, which means temperatures are not very high year (around 20 degrees during daytime) and drop pretty steeply at night. Going in the shoulder season does make it much quieter and we beat the wet season in the North of the country, where we went later on our trip.
The 12 hours flight from Europe did have the advantage that is was overnight and the time difference was only one hour. This meant I was relatively well rested upon arrival. Luckily so, since we were picking up a rental car at the airport and I had to get behind the steering wheel immediately. My husband and I avoid rental cars when we can, especially in town (we like train travel and other forms of public transport), but in Cape Town a car is useful. Although the historic centre is small, some of the landmarks we visited are a bit further out and we also used the car for a drive around Cape Peninsula. Find your own rental car for Cape Town and South Africa here.
DAY 1: DOWNTOWN CAPE TOWN
HISTORIC CAPE TOWN
Another advantage of the flight was that we arrived in Cape Town early in the morning. We picked up the car, drove to town and check in at our guesthouse. By lunch time, we were in the historic centre, fed and showered, and ready to start our 48 hours in Cape Town.
The historic centre of Cape Town is small and packed with Victorian style houses. Just walking around the streets for a couple of hours is the best way to explore the town. Noteworthy landmarks to take in are:
- Long Street: considered the heart of Cape Town, this road is line with shops, bars and restaurants and cuts straight through the centre. If you explore Long street and the surrounding labyrinth of narrow lanes, you’ll get to see the most important heritage buildings;
- Green Market Square: once a slave market, Green Market square now boasts a lively African market where you can buy anything you might think of. Be ready to negotiate;
- The Company’s Garden: once created by the Dutch East India Company to grow fresh vegetables and other produce, this is now a peaceful park. Statues and plants of botanical interest are dotted around and you can enjoy and ice cream on the lawn;
- Iziko South African Museum & other Iziko museums: the South African Museum sits right next to the Company Gardens and houses an amazing collection of natural history objects, which I love. If you prefer to see art or old colonial houses, check out the other Iziko sites in Cape Town as there are many;
- Castle of Good Hope: also known as Cape Town Castle, this fort is considered the best-preserved example of a Dutch East Indian Company fort from the 17th century. It is also part of the Iziko museums.
TABLE MOUNTAIN
Later that afternoon, we decided to explore the iconic Table Mountain National Park. It was barely a 20 minutes’ drive away from the city centre. We drove through the Bo Kaap neighbourhood (formerly Malay Town) which is famed for its brightly coloured houses.
The national park extends across Table Mountain and nearby Signal Hill. There is a good choice of hiking trails. We took the cable car up the mountain and picked a loop trail from the visitor centre at the top. Going to the mountain in the afternoon was a good choice, as we got to see the sunset from the top at the end of our walk.
We were starved after the busy day and ready for dinner. Kloof Street House came recommended by the owners of our guesthouse and was, again, only a short drive away. The cosy interior coupled with quality food and local wines did not disappoint.
DAY 2: DRIVE AROUND CAPE PENINSULA
Our second day in Cape Town involved quite a lot of time in the car. We wanted to drive around the Cape Peninsula, making scenic stops and taking short walks along the way. We started early – thankfully as this was again a packed day.
CAPE POINT & CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
The drive around Cape Peninsula first took us to famous Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. Mistakenly thought to be the Southernmost point of Africa when Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias first set foot here in the 15th century, this is an amazing part or Table Mountain National Park with dramatic cliffs. We parked the car at Cape of the Good Hope, hiked up to the old lighthouse to enjoy the views and then followed the trail to Cape Point.
BOULDERS PENGUIN COLONY
Our next and best stop was the small town of Boulders. The town is nothing special, but the African penguin colony on Boulders’ beach is amazing. Unfortunately, these birds are deemed an endangered species with irresponsible tourism being named as one of the causes, so visit with care. We parked in the designated parking lot and were quickly approached by a local man who did not look like an official demanding a fee for “security”.
CONSTANTIA WINERY
The 17th century winery Constantia is sometimes named as one of the most beautiful wine estates in the world. It is certainly beautiful, but it was a bit too busy to my liking. Prepare for steep prices if you want to take home a bottle of “vin de Constance”.
KIRSTENBOSCH NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS
It was getting late by the time we reached Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens and we did not have a lot of time before the gardens would close. In hindsight, this wasn’t bad, since we later heard that the gardens get absolutely packed during daytime. Kirstenbosch claim to be one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world and indeed, it is truly amazing. You can see plants from five African biomes and the vast views over the ocean and mountains are marvellous.
OUR GUESTHOUSE – LEZARD BLEU
We returned to our guesthouse, Lézard Bleu, shattered. The guesthouse was ideal for us and very affordable. Located in the quiet, residential neighbourhood Oranjezicht, we could easily park the car outside. All the main landmarks, as well as a good choice of restaurants for the evening, were just a stone throw away. Additionally, the layout of the guesthouse is very special. Our room was not located in the main building, but tucked away in the garden. I kind of felt like I was sleeping in a tree house.
DAY 3: CAPE TOWN POLITICAL HISTORY
ROBBEN ISLAND
We visited Robben Island on the last day of our stay in Cape Town, but it is one of the most important landmarks to visit. The island has long been used as a prison for political prisoner. The most famous inmate was probably Nelson Mandela Visiting as part of a guided tour is mandatory. The round trip, including the boat ride to and form the island, takes about four hours. Book in advance. Well in advance. We booked two months in advance in the shoulder season and ticket availability was already low.
WATERFRONT
We returned from the Robben Island trip just in time for lunch. Since we were already close to the V&A Waterfront, we decided to walk around the area and the shops, before closing out our 48 hours in Cape Town and driving onwards. We sat down for lunch in one of the many restaurants overlooking the docks with pleasure boats.
WHERE TO NEXT?
After our 48 hours in Cape Town, we continued our road trip around the Winelands and along the Eastern Cape, before flying to the North of the country for a safari and to take in Swaziland. If you only have a couple of extra days to spend, opt for the Winelands. Paarl or Franschhoek are excellent bases. Even if you are not into wine, the beauty of the surrounding nature is amazing and the history of the region is rich.
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