CAPE PENINSULA

Information

- Lying at the southwestern tip of Africa, the Cape Peninsula National Park encompasses the incredibly scenic Peninsula mountain chain that stretches from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south – a distance of approximately 60 km. The narrow finger of land with it’s many beautiful valleys, bays and beaches is bound by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the West and the warm waters of False Bay in the east. It has within it’s boundaries 2 world-renowned landmarks – the majestic Table Mountain and the legendary Cape of Good Hope. These were both important beacons for the early explorers. Many myths and legends have sprung from them. Recognized globally for it’s extraordinarily rich, diverse and unique flora and fauna, this singular land formation – with it’s rugged cliffs, steep slopes and sandy flats – is a truly remarkable natural, scenic, historical, cultural and recreational asset both locally and internationally. Nowhere else in the world does an area of such spectacular beauty and such rich biodiversity exist almost entirely within a metropolitan area – the thriving and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. The first portion of this new national park was proclaimed on a contractual basis on 9 May 1998, giving the area the highest legal protection as a conservation area and consolidating the multiple ownership of the land under a single management authority, South Africa National Parks.

Fauna & Flora

The Cape Peninsula’s dramatic topo-graphy and Mediterranean like climate has produces an enormous array of habitats which allow the park to offer an incredibly rich variety of plants and animal species. Geologically, three major rock types exist in the area – the ancient hard Table Mountain quartzitic sandstone. The erosion of these rocks over the years resulted in the relatively sandy, shallow and nutrient-poor soils which support the extremely diverse and predominant vegetation type – fynbos. The Cape Peninsula has some 2285 species of plants – more than the entire British Isles (1492 species) and New Zealand (1996 species). Of these, 90 are considered endemic to the Cape Peninsula. Other types of unusual vegetation found in the park include the rare renosterveld grassland and the afro-montane forest found largely in the Eastern valley and sheltered ravines of the mountain chain. The hardy strandveld has envolved to survive in the salty, coastal marine sand. Although most of the large indigenous animals have become extinct (the last Cape lion was killed in 1802), the park still supports viable populations of animal and bird species. These include bontebok, grysbok, klipspringer, caracal, mongoose, otter and baboon, as well as birds such as the Cape Sugarbird, which live exclusively on the flowering fynbos. Furthermore, the park also supports several other endemic invertebrate and vertebrate species many of which are extremely rare, such as the white peri-patus found in the deeper recesses of the sandstone caves of the Cape Peninsula.

Tourist Facilities

Restaurants, tea gardens and curio shops at Rhodes Memorial, Table Mountain cableway station, Kirstenbosch and Cape Point.

Scenic Drives

Boyes Drive, Chapman’s Peak Drive, Victoria Road, Ou Kaapse Weg, Simon’s Town to Smitswinkel Bay, Kommetjie to Scarborough and Cape Point Road

Picnic Spots

Signal Hill lookout, The Glen, Van Riebeeck Park, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Constantia Nek, Oudekraal, Tokai, Witsand, Soetwater, Buffels Bay, Bordjieskloof, Miller’s Point and Perdekloof / Wildeschutsbrand.

Camping and Caravanning

Miller’s Point and Soetwater, both managed by the Local Municipality.

Whale Watching, Penguins / Seals

Southern Right whales entertain thousands of spectators each year as they come close to shore to calve and mate. Sightings peak during September and there are a number of view sites along the scenic drive. Boulders penguin colony is home to a growing colony of the vulnerable African penguin (jackal Penguin). These are easily viewed by visitors.

Environmental Education facilities

Information and bookings for the Environmental Education facilities managed by the Cape Peninsula National Park can be made by contracting the Social Ecology Department.

Outdoors and Adventure Water based activities

Spectacular beaches abound for sun-seekers. The numerous beaches and reefs encircling the Peninsula also permit surfing all year round, and the ample supply of wind in the Peninsula makes this area the ideal spot for wind-surfing and sailing enthusiasts. The clear waters of the Cape Peninsula also provide excellent scuba diving and snorkeling conditions, although a wetsuit is necessary to ward off the cold. Commercial diving operators offer training for persons interested in diving, and provided the necessary equipment on hire. There are a number of tidal swimming pools that are available for safe swimming (Oudekraal, Bordjiesrif and Buffels Bay at Cape of Good Hope).

Mountain Biking

Several approved mountain biking trails exist within the park. These trails are limited to existing jeep tracks and roads only and are found at Tokai Forest, Silvermine, Kloofnek to Mowbray Ridge and the Cape of Good Hope. Participants provide their own bikes and other necessities.

Abseiling

Commercial abseiling adventures are available.

Mountain Climbing

There are a number of approved climbing routes.

Hang Gliding / Parasailing

This is available at Lion’s Head and Silvermine.

Hiking Trails

There are many hiking trails within the park which appeal to a wider audience – from those wanting a short or leisurely walk to those seeking a longer and more challenging jaunt. An overnight (one night) trail is available at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. A maximum of 6 persons can be accommodated per trail, starting on Wednesday and Saturday.

Angling

This is a very popular pastime, although there are seasonal and area restrictions determining where, when and which type of marine resources may be caught. (This information is available at the various information centres). Several commercial operators offer boat trips around the Peninsula.

Areas of Special Interest

Places of interest in the Cape Peninsula National Park include Cape Point and Table Mountain, both featured amongst the top 5 most popular destinations in the Western Cape. Cape Point can be accessed by foot or by funicular, while the magnificent and world-renowned Table Mountain has cableway facilities which take people to it’s summit. Another of the areas popular tourist attractions is the penguin colony at the Boulders (near Simon’s Town) – home to approximately 3500 endangered African Penguins (Jackass Penguin). Access to the penguin viewing site is via a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk. The world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the Eastern slopes of Table Mountain is a spectacular repository of indigenous plants.