Cape Town and environs offer several scenic drives but none are
better than a drive down the peninsula along the Atlantic coast.
From the Waterfront area take the M6 or Beach Road (which
will eventually change into Victoria Road) towards Sea Point. When the high-rise
apartment buildings and hotels change into massive houses you’ve entered the
exclusive Bantry Bay and Clifton areas. Here are some of the most expensive
coastal properties in South Africa. Public parking is limited but there is
public access to the four Clifton beaches. These are the beaches to be seen at
and as the water is pretty cold year round swimming is mostly restricted to
foreign visitors.
The next neighborhood is Camps Bay, which has a fairly
large beach with easy access. From here to the next town, Llandudno, the area is
less inhabited and the coast more rugged. Several shipwrecks can still be seen
at low tide including the Antopolis and Romelia which ran aground in 1977. Most
maps will list these as well as numerous other wrecks that littered the Cape
coast as a reminder that the Portuguese sailors originally named this area Cape
of Storms but that the name was changed for political reasons to Cape of Good
Hope.
After Llandudno the road turns briefly inland until you
reach the picturesque village of Hout Bay. It is worth spending some time here
and is a nice place to stop for lunch or a drink. It is also a pleasant place to
stay in if you prefer not to stay in Cape Town itself.
South of Hout Bay is Chapman’s Peak drive, one of the
world’s most scenic coastal routes - think Highway 1, Big Sur compacted into
about 10 km. The views are spectacular. Sometimes whales can be seen. Chapman’s
Peak was severely damaged by storms in 1999 but parts of it have been open and
it's worth the drive. The complete road should re-open during 2002.
The M6 eventually lead to the M4, which will take you to
Simon’s Town - see the penguins - and eventually the Cape of Good Hope Nature
Reserve. The main attraction in this nature reserve is Cape Point, which is the
southern most point of the Cape Peninsula. From this scenic cape it is possible
to see the sea in two colors, which led to controversy: do you see two oceans as
local souvenir shops claim or just two currents? The real southern most point of
Africa is at Cape Agulhas, several hundred kilometers to the east, not
particularly picturesque and way off the beaten track. So is the real meeting of
the Indian and Atlantic Oceans here or at Cape Point? What is certain is that
the green and blue seas you see at Cape Point is the meeting of the warm Agulhas
and cold Benguela currents, but whether that is also the meeting of two oceans
is open for debate.