Outdoors
Perhaps the biggest blessing for budget travelers in Cape Town is the city's location between Table Mountain and the waters of the Atlantic, which provides (free) outdoor diversions that can keep visitors busy for weeks. Table Mountain National Park stretches from Signal Hill in Cape Town to Cape Point at the tip of the peninsula, and provides hundreds of miles of trails for hiking and biking. Within Cape Town, the park encompasses the Twelve Apostles, Devil's Peak, Signal Hill, and Table Mountain, which offer a plethora of hiking trials and camp sites. Visit the park's website for detailed trail information to plan your trip, or check out a hiking guide to the Cape for trails.
If you're relatively fit, spend a clear day hiking up one of Table Mountain's trails for breathtaking views of the City Bowl, coastline, and the Cape peninsula. Stop at one of the visitor information centers (one is located at the base of Platteklip Gorge, and another is on Tafelburg Road) first to pick up a detailed trail map and check the expected weather conditions at the top, as they can change quickly. Though none of the routes up the mountain are easy (each takes 2-3 hours, depending on your pace) the Platteklip Gorge path is a straightforward path popular with visitors.
Hike back down the mountain on the Skeleton Gorge or Nursery Ravine path to enter Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden from the back of the property (bypassing the main gate and entrance fee). At 1,300 acres (528 hectares), Kirstenbosch is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world, and it is home almost exclusively to native South African species. This is a good place to see fynbos, the native scrubland vegetation, and the protea, the country's national flower. Pack a picnic dinner to eat on the expansive lawn.
The entire Cape peninsula is flanked by gorgeous beaches, and Cape Town is no exception. Coastlines closest to the city center include: Sea Point's promenade, just west of the city center, the perfect place for a long walk along the beach; Clifton, with four smaller, secluded beaches; and Camps Bay, perhaps the most beautiful white-sand beach in the Cape Town area, where the toned and tan go to see and be seen.
A bit further afield, but easily reachable by train, are the beaches and towns of False Bay, across the peninsula from Cape Town. For a day of beachcombing and meandering through seaside towns, take the 45-minute train ride from Cape Town to Muizenberg, where you can watch surfers queue up for incoming waves in this favorite surf spot. A two-mile walk along the coast will land you in Kalk Bay, a small village with antique shops and bookstores. In the mornings the docks are a bustle of activity as fishermen sell their daily catch, but the afternoon brings peaceful views of picture-perfect fishing boats bobbing in the harbor.
The same train continues down the peninsula, hugging the coast for a scenic ride to Simonstown, the home of the South African Navy and a town whose colonial style oozes old-time charm. On the outskirts of town lies Boulder Beach (part of Table Mountain National Park), the home of the famed African penguin.
