Outdoor places
Places to explore on your own around Cape Town and the West Coast. Details were checked against official park and reserve websites, but conditions, hours and fees change, so always confirm before you go.
Region
Activity
17 places
- Cape TownHike
Lion's Head
Short, popular spiral walk to a 669 m summit with 360° views of the city, Table Mountain and the Atlantic seaboard.
Table Mountain National Park – trailheads on Signal Hill Rd and Kloof Nek
No entry fee listed
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownHike (strenuous)
Platteklip Gorge
The classic north-face route up Table Mountain.
Table Mountain National Park – Platteklip Gorge car park
No entry fee listed
Difficulty: StrenuousDetails - Cape TownViewpoint / short walk
Signal Hill
Northern tip of the park with views over the city and harbour – home of the noon gun.
Table Mountain National Park – Signal Hill
No entry fee listed
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownWildlife boardwalk
Boulders Penguin Colony
Boardwalk viewing of the endangered African penguin colony in Simon's Town.
Boulders, Simon's Town – Table Mountain National Park
R57 adult / R27 child (SA residents, from 1 Nov 2026)
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownWalk / hike
Tygerberg Nature Reserve
388 ha reserve in the northern suburbs with 562 plant species and 360° city views from the hilltop.
Northern suburbs, Cape Town
R40 adult / R20 child (1 Jul 2026–30 Jun 2027)
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownHike, run, coast
Blaauwberg Nature Reserve
Fynbos hill and 7 km of coastline, with views to both Table Mountain and Robben Island.
Eerste Steen Resort, Otto du Plessis Drive (M14), north of Bloubergstrand
R20 adult / R15 child, plus R20 per vehicle (2026/27)
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownHike, walk, mountain biking
Silvermine
One of the park's easier hiking areas. Mountain biking is allowed on designated routes from Gate 1 (and in parts of Tokai).
Table Mountain National Park – Silvermine Gate 1
R46 adult / R23 child (SA residents, from 1 Nov 2026)
Difficulty: Easier (per SANParks)Details - Cape TownHike, cycle, surf, picnic
Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point
Fenced section of the park with eland, bontebok and zebra, lighthouses and wild coastline. Free guided walks on selected Sundays.
Table Mountain National Park – Cape Point gate. Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre +27 21 741 0230
R115 adult / R57 child (SA residents, from 1 Nov 2026)
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownBirding, walks
False Bay Nature Reserve (Rondevlei)
Bird sanctuary since 1952, with footpaths, viewing towers and bird hides.
Corner of Perth Rd & Fisherman's Walk, Grassy Park
Check current fees with the park
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Cape TownHike, accessible boardwalks
Helderberg Nature Reserve
402 ha reserve above Somerset West, with a trail network on the upper slopes and universal-access boardwalks below.
Somerset West. Phone 021 444 6572
Check current fees with the park
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - West CoastHike, 4.6 km
West Coast NP – Bakoor Trail to Seeberg
Walk from the Langebaan gate to the Seeberg viewpoint over the lagoon. Look out for eland, ostrich and bat-eared foxes.
West Coast National Park – Langebaan gate
Check current fees with the park
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - West CoastCircular walks, 7 or 9 km
West Coast NP – Geelbek day walks
Two signposted circular walks from the Geelbek Information Centre; the 7 km route includes part of Sixteen Mile Beach.
West Coast National Park – Geelbek Information Centre (+27 22 707 9902/3)
Check current fees with the park
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - West CoastOvernight hike / seasonalAugust–September only
West Coast NP – Postberg Hiking Trail & flower season
Two-day trail from Tsaarsbank with an overnight at Plankiesbaai (bring your own tent). The Postberg section only opens in flower season, when it's the park's best area for flowers.
West Coast National Park – Tsaarsbank
Check current fees with the park
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - West CoastBirding, walks, MTB
Rocherpan Nature Reserve
Coastal reserve north of Velddrif with 183 recorded bird species and two easy trails, one along the beach and one along the vlei.
25 km north of Velddrif
Day hikes R55 adult / R35 child
Difficulty: Easy trailsDetails - West CoastWildlife
Bird Island, Lambert's Bay
The only publicly accessible Cape gannet breeding colony in the world, with a hide and the "Bone Box" walkthrough museum.
Lambert's Bay harbour
R60 adult / R35 child
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Wider Western Cape / InlandHike, climb
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Rugged sandstone wilderness about 250 km from Cape Town – Maltese Cross, Wolfberg Arch and ancient rock art.
Between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam (Algeria office off the N7)
Wolfberg Arch via Wolfberg Cracks R170, Maltese Cross R100, overnight trails R200 per person per night (adult)
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails - Wider Western Cape / InlandHike, overnight
Groot Winterhoek Wilderness
Wild landscape of rock formations and river pools about 180 km from Cape Town, near Porterville.
Near Porterville
Day hike R85 adult / R55 child
Difficulty: Not rated by official sourceDetails