CAPE PENINSULA
WESTERN CAPE
The Cape Peninsula is a very small region but one of the top tourist attractions of South Africa. And it is easy to see why. Located among the busy suburbs of Cape Town, there is a surprising amount of natural beauty to be found. With the majestic Table Mountain, the Cape Point and the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive, it has some world-class attractions. But there is so much more natural beauty to this region.
The skyline is dominated by Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles. In this part of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) you will find the highest peaks in the region (1086m). This truly is a hiker’s paradise with countless hiking trails that can take you almost anywhere. Up and down Table Mountain, through the many gorges, around the contour of the mountains, up to the peaks and through the forests. These trails give you access to all the little waterfalls and caves in the mountains.
Further south you can find the Silvermine Nature Reserve, Boulders Beach and the Cape Of Good Hope, all part of the TMNP. The landscape here is less dramatic and lower in elevation, providing a good habitat for some larger mammals and the Common Ostrich. To the north and east of Cape Town, there are some excellent wetlands, coastal reserves and smaller parks. These are excellent birding sites and a lot quieter than the TMNP.
The peninsula has miles and miles of dramatic coastline. It is littered with golden beaches, huge boulders, rock pools, kelp forests and cobalt blue bays. These rock pools and kelp forests are teeming with marine life and often overlooked by tourists. Chacma Baboons, African Clawless Otters and seals use this coastline to feed on this marine life. But the most famous coastline inhabitants are the African Penguins at Boulders Beach.
This entire region is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest of earth’s six floral kingdoms. The peninsula is a floral biodiversity hotspot and has a high number of endemic plant species. Some 2300 plant species can be found on the peninsula and Table Mountain alone has almost 1500 different plant species.
ABOUT
PARKS & RESERVES
False Bay Nature Reserve
The False Bay Nature Reserve lies along the False Bay coast, between Muizenberg and Mitchells Plain. It consists of about 50% permanent wetland and 49% terrestrial vegetation. Over 60% of the bird species in the Southwestern Cape can be found here. With 6 bird hides and 2 observation towers, it’s a birders paradise. The reserve also supports the endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Cape Flats Dune Strandveld vegetation, as well as a couple of Hippo’s.
Steenbras Nature Reserve
The Steenbras Nature Reserve is located to the south of Gordon’s Bay and is part of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. Home to a great variety of vegetation and some exciting animals like Chacma Baboons, African Wildcats, Cape Foxes, small antelopes, Caracals and Leopards. This mountainous reserve is well-known for the Steenbras River Gorge, a couple of Crystal Pools and hiking trails. Ideal for hiking, kloof jumping and abseiling.
Table Bay Nature Reserve
The Table Bay Nature Reserve lies between Table View and Milnerton. It is mostly permanent and seasonal wetlands, with habitats like coastal dunes, floodplains, reedbeds and salt marshes. A couple of boardwalks and 2 bird hides offer great bird sightings. Over 150 bird species, 30 mammal species and 400 plant species call this reserve home, including the endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos.
Table Mountain National Park
This World Heritage Site is best known for Table Mountain and Cape of Good Hope. It stretches from Signall Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south and has many beautiful valleys, bays, beaches, mountains, and indigenous forests. Along the entire coastline lies a Marine Protected Area and the Fynbos covered area is packed with hiking trails. Swimming, hiking, scuba diving, rock climbing, cave exploring, it is all possible in this national park.
Tygerberg Nature Reserve
Located to the north-east of Cape Town, the Tygerberg Nature Reserve is surrounded by suburbs. It is rich in biodiversity with over 500 plant species, 130 bird species and 20 mammal species. A couple of hiking trails traverse the reserve and lead to various lookout points. On clear days you can see Table Mountain, the Mother City, Robben Island and Cape Flats. This is also home to the critically endangered Swartland Shale Renosterveld vegetation.
FLORA & FAUNA
Although the Cape Peninsula is a small region, there is an abundance of natural splendor to behold. Especially on the floral side. Some 2300 plant species can be found on the peninsula and Table Mountain alone has almost 1500 species. Most of the vegetation you will see is Fynbos and remnant patches of indigenous forest in the wetter ravines.
The Cape Peninsula has many urban areas and very limited open spaces. This means that the fauna here are often small in size, with the Rock Hyrax being the most common mammal here. You will see plenty of those on top of Table Mountain or in other rocky areas. From Constantiaberg and the mountains further to the south, Chacma Baboons roam the lower slopes in search for food. Several troops here are the only primates in Africa to visit the coastline and feed on marine organisms. Harder to spot animals are the Caracal, African Clawless Otter and Cape Genet.
The larger fauna, such as Bontebok, Common Ostrich, Cape Grysbok, Hartebeest and Mountain Zebra have made their home in the Cape Point section of the Table Mountain National Park. These herbivores are often observed feeding on coastal vegetation, which provides them with essential salts because it grows so close to the ocean.
There is plenty to see in the sky as well. The mountain cliffs boast several raptor species, such as the Jackal Buzzard, Booted Eagle, African Harrier-hawk, Peregrine Falcon and the Rock Kestrel. Along the entire coastline you can spot the endangered African Oystercatcher and the iconic African Penguin. Although the African Penguin has been observed alnong the entire coastline, the best spot to see them up close is on, and around, Boulders Beach. The richness of the vegetation also creates plenty of habitats for other bird species. Eyecatchers are the several beautiful colored sunbirds and the Cape Sugarbird.
On the marine side of life there is also a lot the discover. Almost along the entire coastline of the Cape Peninsula you can find Brown Fur Seals, even in the man-made harbors. You might even see some Southern Elephant Seals on the beaches. Several dolphin species roam the waters around the peninsula and between August and October, chances are good to spot the Southern Right Whale.
But a habitat most tourist don’t even notice are the many rockpools along the coastline. They are created by the tides and range from 30cm to 10-20m across and up to 2m deep. They are filled with life: Cape Sea Urchins, anemones, spiny and cushion stars, a variety of snails and crabs, to name a few of your typical rockpool inhabitants. The larger the rockpool, the more diverse the life gets. Some of the larger pools are home to soft corals, feather-duster worms, tubeworms, sea fans, nudibranchs, sea hares and prawns. You might even see an octopus on the hunt.
