Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope and Chapman’s peak drive

All these places and many more belong to the Table Mountain National Park. This park is situated on the Southern Peninsula, and to visit either of them you have to pass through one of TMNP's pay points where a daily conservation fee is payable. Cape Point is the most southern point of the Cape peninsula, Cape of Good Hope is the most south-western point of the same peninsula and Chapman’s peak drive is where your road to either of them will start if you leave Cape Town taking the western coast road (highly recommended because of the views!) to the south. Chapman’s peak drive starts actually at the end of Hout Bay (at the southern edge of the greater Cape Town), and you need to pay another small fee to drive through it. It is a very narrow two-lane road where you need to be very careful and not stray away because of the views. Most guides say that all three sights are perfect for a one-day trip, but you will need to start (very) early. Kilometres take time and are tiring on this western coast stretch.

Once you get in the Cape of Good Hope Natural Reserve, where another entry fee for the day is paid, you are in pure nature and can watch from time to time wild animals wander around as in a safari park. The scenery to the east and to the west is fantastic but the place is busy. At the southern edge is the Cape Point; you can catch the cable car or walk to the lighthouse and watch the immensity of the Ocean. But this is not the most southern point of Africa, Cape Agulhas is.

Alternatively, to get to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope you can choose the eastern road going down, through Muizenberg (a surfers’ paradise that features in another cover of the Lonely Planet, the one with the coloured beach huts) and Simon’s town. This road is also very scenic; beware of the penguins on the road! There are also whale-watching points on the road.