The Cape Point Nature Reserve is a protected area just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town. It’s also known as the Southernmost tip of Africa! …Even though it isn’t. But it is beautiful and offers some great hiking, stunning viewpoints, and a secret beach cabin. Most people just visit for the day, but I’ve laid out the perfect itinerary for a weekend getaway at the end of this post.
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Where is Cape Point?
Cape Point Nature Reserve is at the southern tip of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula, part of the Table Mountain National Park. It’s 70 kilometres from Cape Town and takes about an hour or an hour and a half to get there, depending on where you’re leaving from. We drove from Muizenberg so it was just an hour!
Cape Point is famous for its dramatic cliffs, rocky shores, and the iconic lighthouse, perched on a promontory overlooking the ocean. It’s a wildlife haven, with opportunities to observe baboons and various bird species in their natural habitat.
Park entry fee
One of the biggest shocks for me in South Africa was the disproportional cost of visiting the various national parks! Everything else is so affordable. You can find restaurant meals for like $5, and even expensive things like the cable car up to Table Mountain are half the price of what they’d cost in Canada or New Zealand. But the parks?! That’s the exception.
Prices in USD. Note you can see the penguins at Boulders Beach on your way to/from Cape Point!
Getting into Cape Point costs 376 Rand ($20 USD) for international visitors. Sure, it won’t bankrupt you, but it’s still pretty expensive just to enter the area! So it’s best to tick everything off your list all at once to make the most of the fee. Fortunately, it’s totally possible to do it all in one day.
Staying at Cape Point
I think most people are unaware that you can actually spend the night at Cape Point! But because it’s a nature reserve, there are just a few accommodation options and you can only book through the national parks page. There are tented campsites, dorm-style cabins, and a secluded guesthouse (aka secret beach cabin).
We went with family and stayed at the beautiful Olifantsbos Guesthouse. I almost don’t even want to tell you about it because I want it to remain a hidden gem, but this is the benefit of being a small blog. No readers, no guilt, no fear of causing a chain reaction that leads to over-tourism.
The house is on its own private beach, and there’s an old rusty shipwreck and giant whale pelvis bone just 15 minutes down the shore. Behind Olifantsbos, Chesney clambered up the rocks for an epic view just before sunset. We also saw wild ostriches, eland, and baboons around the property.
Here's what you need to know about the accom:
- There’s no cell service or wi-fi.
- There’s no electricity except for lights and a fridge. So bring external batteries for your phone to charge!
- There is a proper braai on site and I highly recommend going full South African and bringing some boerewors to grill on the coals.
- They provide bedding, soap, cooking gear and dishes, etc., but you need to bring your own firewood, food, and even a water filter, just to be safe.
What to do at the Cape Point Nature Reserve
Here are all the highlights you need to check out once you’re in the park:
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- Try wild food foraging — ONLY with an experienced guide please!
- Cape Point Lighthouse
- Ride the funicular
- Cape of Good Hope
- Stroll along Buffels Bay Beach
- Swim in (or just admire) the Venus Pools
- Hike the Olifantsbos Shipwreck Trail
- Keep your eyes peeled for animals
Cape Point day trips
If you’d rather go for the day, you can book one of these with Get Your Guide! They both include a stop at Boulder’s Beach which is honestly essential, because that’s where all the penguins live! It’s totally possible to hit this famous penguin colony on your way to Cape Point from Cape Town.
The perfect weekend itinerary at Cape Point
You’ll want to leave Cape Town early so you can make the most of your day. Grab a takeaway coffee then get on the road. There’s lots to see!
Take a quick stroll through Simon’s Town.
This coastal area is so charming and it’s about half way to Cape Point, so it’s perfect place to stop for a quick breakfast before getting to the nature reserve. We ate at Bertha’s Restaurant, which is right in the harbour and has a great view! It’s primarily a seafood place, but the breakfast menu had all the ol’ faithfuls. I split the difference and got salmon eggs benny.
See the penguins at Boulders Beach.
There’s a huge African penguin colony living here, so you’re basically guaranteed to see them hanging out on the beach or playing in the water. Entrance to the beach costs R 176, and if you want to brave the cold, bring your bathing suit! You can even swim with the penguins – just please don’t touch or bother them.
Enter the Cape Point nature reserve.
Follow the rugged coastline and enjoy the scenic drive until you reach the entrance to the reserve, and pay R 376.
Head straight for the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is at the very tip of the peninsula and is where you’ll get the best panoramic views. You can either walk to the peak, or catch the funicular for R 90 (return). Be prepared, it’ll be windy up there! I also recommend checking out the Cape Peninsula Wooden Walkway, which you can see from the lighthouse, it’s above Diaz Beach. It looks amazing, but we didn’t have time.
Have lunch or a snack at Two Oceans.
There’s a restaurant overlooking the cliffs where we stopped for mussels and grilled calamari. It was legit. They also have a takeaway coffee and snack space if you just want to grab and go.
Swing down to the Cape of Good Hope.
A more down-to-Earth vantage point of the same cape.
Walk to the Venus Pools/Buffels Bay Beach.
Follow the coastal trail and hop along some rocks to these natural tidal pools. If you’re feeling brave, or you regret not swimming at the penguin beach, you can even take a quick dip here. Buffels Bay Beach is nearby and easier to access so it will likely be busier, but it also has a nice (but human-made) tidal pool for swimming.
Check into Olifantsbos Guest House.
You can pick up your keys any time after 2pm from the Information Centre.
Enjoy being off grid at your cozy, isolated cabin paradise!
You should also explore the rocky cliff behind the house. Take care, but it’s totally possible to climb like halfway up for a nice view. Watch the sunset from your private beach.
Wake up with a morning swim.
Personally, I think that’s insane but some people in the fam did it and seemed to enjoy it. A herd of bontebok watched on from a distance (and so did I).
Walk left down the beach to the shipwreck.
Check out by 10am. And if you didn’t have time on Day 1, make sure you head towards the Cape of Good Hope before leaving the park. You kind of get a “free” day of entry because you only have to pay on the day you check in, so you may as well make the most of it!