Cape Town can be dreary in winter. Ice cold days with relentless downpours, can make you start to wonder why we choose to live here instead of escaping to the warm sea and sunshine of the med. Yet every now and again the sun chooses to reveal itself; the flowers gently open, the birds sing and the grass glistens as it perspires in the sun. These glorious sunny winter days are unique, one of kind dreams and when they happen on a Sunday they are tiny miracles.
It is on these glorious days that there is a need to explore, to venture outside and do something unique and meaningful with the day. I grabbed the recent opportunity to spend a sunny winter’s day in Simon’s Town. Not plagued by the camera-ready tourists and screaming children that frequent there in summer, one could be forgiven for thinking that they had landed up in a small fishing town in the south of France.
A short and easy stroll from the cliff perched houses of Simonstown, takes you to the local waterfall. Standing on the mountain side, the views over the bay are outstandingly breath-taking. A rocky path leads you directly from the houses above the naval barracks to the waterfall where a family picnic can be enjoyed. For the more adventurous types, swimming looked like an option; it is just a pity that the waterfall doesn’t flow in the summer months. For others craving exercise, the many steps leading up to the grave of Just Nuisance are bound to get the blood flowing, especially if taken at a running pace.
Venture down into the town of Simon’s Town on a sleepy Sunday and you will find an eerie, absolute silence. Small stores provide host to a range of antique furniture and clothing that one could browse endlessly through without the throngs of summer. Good ‘ol fish and chips can be enjoyed in a variety of ways; pair yours with some wine at one of the upmarket restaurants whilst viewing the boats or grab a take-away and enjoy it on the pier.
This place was revealed to me in a different light; the busy, noisy, overcrowded Simonstown I was used to is transformed on a sunny winter’s day. One sleepy Sunday in Simon’s Town gave me the sense of a mini-vacation; the perfect way to spend a sunny winters day in Cape Town.
For a range of accommodation ideas in Simon’s Town, visit Getaway’s Accommodation page.
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