Our next day in Camps Bay involved a trip to discover all that Table Mountain National Park had to offer and, quite frankly, Christmas already felt like a thing of the past!
We made our way towards Cape Point on yet another cloudless morning but, on the way, we couldn’t miss calling in at Boulders Beach to see the well-publicised African penguins. These beautiful and increasingly endangered little critters can be seen in large numbers across the white sands of Boulders Beach, near Simon’s Town on the Cape peninsula. This is the only place where you can get close to these penguins. Boardwalks have been set up for ease of walking and protection of the birds, and some of the penguins come right up to the boardwalks so that you can get a close encounter - but be careful, as they do bite!
Cape Point is a nature reserve within the southern section of Table Mountain National Park and boasts cliffs that tower over 200 meters above sea level. It is 60 km south-west of Cape Town at the tip of the Cape peninsula. This World Heritage Site has a rich maritime history and accommodates an abundance of flora and fauna, including over 250 species of birds. You can park close to the Point, but then it is a steep uphill walk to the lighthouse where the panoramic views are breath-taking. If you don’t want to walk, you can take the Flying Dutchman Funicular instead.
The Cape of Good Hope is close to Cape Point and is supposed to be the southern tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet. However, the southern-most point is actually in Cape Agulhas which is about 200 km southeast.
