Cape Town Hiking in a Nutshell: What You Need to Know
If not at the top, hiking should feature very high up on your list of things to do in Cape Town. There’s enough hiking on the Cape Peninsula to keep even the most ardent hiker busy for several lifetimes. If you enjoy the great outdoors, love being active in nature, or if you’re looking to avoid the tourist trail, then you’re in for a treat.
Hemmed in by mountain and sea, Mother Nature forms the backyard to the Mother City, therefore little logistics are required to get out and savour the grandeur, views, and tranquility associated with mountains and wilderness. Despite the proximity of the city, pristine and dramatic landscapes abound, offering easy access to a multitude of trails ranging from easy to very challenging. A measure of fitness will allow for an optimal experience, but even if you’re badly out of shape, classic easy options exist, like taking the cable car up Table Mountain and traversing the length of the famous tabletop summit.
A bewildering amount of articles, reviews, blog posts, and books have been written on Cape Town hiking, so not wanting to add to the glut of information, I will distil my twopence-worth down to the following three options:
Lion’s Head: Views, Low Nature, Average Adventure
Lion’s Head Hiking scores high on views, low on nature, and average on adventure. For those who don’t know, Lion’s Head is not part of Table Mountain, but a free-standing peak located next to Table Mountain and about two-thirds its height. Watching sunrise/sunset from the summit is very popular: I suggest sunrise, as it ensures cooler conditions (an issue in summer) and prevents you from having to hike down in the dark. Despite being a very popular hike, the way up involves scrambling and exposure to heights (narrow ledges) – nothing extreme, but if you’re afraid of heights, you might want to think twice.
Table Mountain: The Epicenter of Cape Town Hiking
The epicenter of Cape Town hiking, Table Mountain’s famous tabletop summit hike is the highest part of the entire range. With more than 60 routes to choose from, it scores high on everything – views, adventure, and nature – with different routes scoring differently on each of those elements. If you want the ultimate experience of Table Mountain, use a competent and experienced mountain guide – it’s as simple as that. While you can use a GPS and guidebook to navigate around the Cape Peninsula roads and still get a pretty good experience, the same does not apply to Table Mountain.
Cape of Good Hope: Superb Walks & Hikes
Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula, often referred to as Cape Point, offers superb walks and hikes. Dias Beach (walk) and Paulsberg (hike) offer some of the most beautiful surroundings and views on the Cape Peninsula, the former with little to no other people around, the latter miles off the tourist trail with not a soul in sight
If you’re into hiking, these three options cover the best of the Cape Peninsula. If you have time and energy for two Table Mountain hikes, then go for one that leads to the tabletop summit and the second up Llandudno Ravine: the views are completely different and as good as it gets, and the route packs lots of nature with more challenging variations for those wanting adventure in addition.
Important Note: Safety & Crime Hotspots
Sadly, crime has become a hot topic when it comes to Cape Town hiking and Table Mountain hiking routes. The gist of it is, crime hotspots (areas that see the highest criminal activity) can easily be avoided if you know about them. Another solid reason to make use of a knowledgeable, experienced mountain guide.
To get the most out of your visit to Cape Town, to really optimize the experience, set aside time for a guided mountain walk or a hike – preferably two, ideally three.