5 ways to get your winter thrills in Cape Town

Posted by Cape Town Tourism on 19 March 2017

Visitors to Cape Town love that it’s a playground all year-round. If you haven’t experienced its thrills and adventures, now is the time to visit the city where the adventure doesn’t stop when the rain starts!

Fancy flying high over the city in a helicopter or playing on the thermals as you paraglide off Signal Hill? How about scuba diving with creatures of the deep or engaging in fish-to-rod combat on a day of deep-sea fishing? Or even feeling the thrill of zip lining down cables from mountain ledge to mountain ledge, or sliding down a bright white dune on a sandboard? Ultimately, experiencing Cape Town is about doing what you love, whatever time of the year – even, and perhaps especially, in cooler temperatures.

If you love the outdoors and adventure, Cape Town offers an awesome range of adrenalin-inducing experiences and more leisurely pursuits against panoramic backdrops.

1. Hit the trails

On land, take to the trails through forests, winelands and mountains on foot or mountain bike. Cape Town hosts a busy programme of MTB and trail running events for pro and amateur runners and riders alike. For a full-on adrenaline rush, hike or run up Platteklip Gorge on the world’s favourite mountain before abseiling down the western face with the majestic Twelve Apostles mountain range in the distance.

2. Take to flight

In the air, launch yourself off Signal Hill, safely strapped into a tandem paragliding harness and swirl around on the thermals above Sea Point Promenade. If you want something a bit more extreme, step out from the confines of an aeroplane from 9000 ft. above the ground and skydive back to earth while taking in breath-taking views of the landscape below. If you prefer to fly on your own, you’ll love the 2.3-kilometre zip-line route, suspended 155metres above the forest canopy.

3. Brave the water

On the water, learn to surf or stand-up paddle board (SUP) at Muizenberg beach and find out why the city’s surfers are so stoked to ride the waves there. Once you’ve conquered the boards, why not try to conquer the wind with a kitesurfing lesson at Bloubergstrand? The wind whips your kite upwards, skimming the board over the crest of rolling waves. For a more sedate, but no less dramatic experience, kayaking tours around Simon’s Town will bring you within waddling distance of the penguins in False Bay.

But you don’t need to confine yourself to the surface, though. Scuba divers and snorkelers who brave the cold Atlantic are rewarded with sightings of shipwrecks, kelp forests, seals and other marine creatures. Once you come up for air, linger on the beaches around the Peninsula for more sandy adventures.

4. Hit the road

Speed freaks and petrolheads are not left out of the Cape Town adventure equation. Take a trip around the 3.2km race circuit at Killarney, or tour the Peninsula in a vintage sidecar for a unique view from the road. Go-karting circuits at Kenilworth and tobogganing slides in Durbanville are ideal ways to help kids of all ages expend excess energy. If you want to get off the road, then you’ll find 4×4 tours into the dunes in Atlantis or quad biking in the forest at Elgin the perfect off-road adventure.

5. Sharpen your aim

If you’re a hunting, shooting and fishing adventurer, then a day out on the clay pigeon range or paintball arena is perfect for testing your aim and sharp-shooting skills. The rise of escape room adventures in Cape Town offer you a different way of following tracks of clues out of enclosed spaces, and deep sea fishing tours will test your strength and endurance. While you’re out on the open water, keep your eyes peeled for dolphins and whales whose annual displays are as mesmerising as they are exciting.

The adventure doesn’t stop when the rain starts. Whether you need to get your blood pumping or to take a deep breath as you admire the view of the world outside, there’s something for you in the Mother City.

Visit our City Breaks page to find great packages to the world’s favourite city. Take advantage of the flight, hotel and car-hire deals we’ve put together for some great weekend and short breaks in the city, themed to help you uncover the Cape Town experiences we know you’ll love. Explore the offers and book today to ensure you don’t miss out. Enter our competition to stand a chance of winning a trip for two to Cape Town worth R20000!

Read the full T&Cs here.

More things to do in Cape Town this winter

Everybody knows that Cape Town’s summer season ranks up there with the best in the world for sun and fun. But those in the know, the real Cape Town connoisseurs, know that Cape Town’s winter is the perfect time for adventurers to hit our shores.

If you’re one of those people that likes to get away from tourist crowds, to forge your own path and experience a new place on your own terms, then here are ten reasons you should be heading to Cape Town for winter.

1. Look for gentle giants

Cape Town’s winter season is also its whale season; the perfect time to visit if you’re looking to get a glimpse of these gentle marine giants.

You’ll be able to take a boat out into False Bay and get a close-up look at the barnacled backs of Southern right whales as they breach. The peak season is from July to November, making whale-watching the perfect activity for a clear winter’s day.

2. See the city by air

A crisp winter’s day is the perfect opportunity to see Cape Town from the air. Take off from Lion’s Head or Signal Hill, two of the city’s most popular sites to fly from, and get spectacular views of the Mother City. If you aren’t an experienced paraglider, that’s not a problem: tandem instructional flights are available. Time to get strapped in!

3. Play in the rolling thunder

Although beginners might find the prospect of hitting the surf in the dead of winter intimidating, seasoned locals know that the surf is best during the colder months. Where summer’s South Easter wind turns some of our favourite surf spots into a choppy nightmare, the prevailing winter winds supersize the swell and get even the most chilled of local surfers excited.

4. Explore ancient trails

Winter is the green season in Cape Town and mountain biking and trail running are perfect ways to take in the natural beauty while working up a sweat. Capetonians have fully embraced these popular adventure sports and there are a vast array of routes to choose from. The trails also differ markedly in terrain, from the rocky single-tracks of Silvermine to the thick, lush forest below in Tokai, so you can spend a whole holiday exploring.

5. Get up close to apex predators

Winter is also great time if you’re keen to catch a glimpse of an apex predator. Seal Island in False Bay is one of the world’s best spots for shark-cage diving, and the water visibility is much better during the winter months so this is the best time to jump in a cage and get face-to-face with a Great White.

6. Enjoy a wine and food Segway

Planning a holiday with kids can be tough. Spier Wine Farm does not just tolerate kids, they welcome them. The farm offers wine tasting for the whole family (don’t worry, the youngsters get grape juice), superb picnic options, plenty of open spaces and the Eagle Outreach facility.

You can also book a Segway Tour through the Spier vineyards. Kids older than ten are welcome and its a fun an easy way to keep the whole family entertained.

7. Have fun in Kidz season

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is an essential Cape Town activity, and if you have kids then there’s an extra incentive to get them outdoors and away from the iPad this winter. During the Kidz Season (on select days from May to September) two kids ride for free with an adult and they receive a treasure hunt map to complete. Grab a coffee, let the kids explore and enjoy the view!

8. Tour Cape Point

Avoid the summer tourist crowds and explore Cape Point by taking the Baz Bus Peninsula all-day tour. From the Atlantic seaboard you’ll travel across the peninsula, stopping along the False Bay coastline, taking a downhill cycle through Cape Point, followed by a delicious picnic.

9. See flower season in full bloom

Travellers from around the world annually come to the Cape at the end of winter to witness a natural spectacle. Millions of beautiful wildflowers start blooming in August and September and you can see them just an hour north of the city in the Cape floral region, a UNESCO World Heritage site that becomes a blanket of pink, white, orange and yellow during this time. A real bucket-list item.

10. Special deals and off-season packages

In winter you’ll get way more bang for your buck as many hotels, restaurants, tour operators and attractions discount their rates heavily during the off-season. Not only do you get great value for money, but low season also means fewer tourists, less traffic and no long queues.