Cycling on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa

Chances are you’ve been to Cape Town in South Africa, or you have at least wanted to go. But the Cape Peninsula isn’t just bursting with creative urban cultures, its natural features are stunning as well. And the best way to explore the natural landscapes near Cape Town is to go hiking and cycling on the Cape Peninsula.

What You Need to Know about the Cape Peninsula

The Cape Peninsula is a rocky peninsula that stretches out into the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll find it at the south-western extremity of the African continent. When you look at a map, it kind of looks like a little thumb or pointy finger sticking out of the western coast of South Africa. The peninsula has continuously switched from being an island to a peninsula (and vice versa) during the past five million years. This is because the ice ages that came and went strongly affected the rise and fall of the sea level.

At the southern end of the Cape Peninusla you can find Cape Point and the well-known Cape of Good Hope. On the northern end you can climb the iconic Table Mountain, which overlooks the city of Cape Town. The Cape Peninsula is about 52 km long in total, so there’s a lot to cover. Nevertheless, you can visit all the highlights on the peninsula within 1-3 days if you plan your explorations well.

Cape Peninsula Cycling Tour

Strictly speaking, the Cape Peninsula covers a large cultural and natural area, including the entirety of central Cape Town itself. Cycling tours, however, are most often done within the quiet reserves of Table Mountain National Park. When my brother and I were on a city trip in Cape Town, we also decided to go on a tour. We wanted to see more of the natural plains on the peninsula. The tour company first brought us to Boulders Beach to see the celebrated penguins. A little bit later on, we also made a stop at the surfer hotspot Muizenberg for a quick break.

But then it was time for the real deal. As we headed towards the Cape of Good Hope next, the tour guides gave us bicycles and off we all went. Some of us didn’t quite get to enjoy the luxury off fully functioning brakes, which I only discovered when I was already going downhill. But it was a lot of fun nonetheless!

Table Mountain National Park

This peninsula post is only one of many more articles about Table Mountain National Park coming up! Until that time, you can keep yourself busy by staring at the chubby squirrels of Company’s Garden. Or if that’s not your thing, you could also admire the extremely colourful houses of the Bo-kaap. Whatever floats your boat! Here are few more articles to learn more about Table Mountain National Park:

• Hiking to Cape of Good Hope
• The Story Behind Cape Point: The Lendary Cape of Storms
• On Top of Table Mountain

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