Discover the City of Cape Town in 2 minutes with this incredible Cape Town video. Here are 19 unique ideas.
Bonus: Check out our Cape Town Restaurant Guide!
The best weekend in Cape Town is a big statement. With a wide variety of activities to do and places to see, there are endless possibilities. “Having spent the last 15 years capturing different places and activities in Cape Town, and throughout the world for that matter, there was a huge amount of pressure to capture Cape Town in a unique way.” Craig Howes, Director of SoCoMunity, a Cape Town-based Film Production Company.
“When tasked with creating a Cape Town video, it’s important to choose a host of interesting and unique activities that are both visually appealing and fun, which translate into a montage of beautiful Cape Town Footage.”
Cape Town Activities Featured in the Video.
1. Yoga on Top of Table Mountain. Kasteelsport at sunset
Table Mountain is a natural 7th wonder of the world and is set in the heart of the city of Cape Town. The height of Table Mountain is 1086m (3563 feet) above sea level. Combine that with views of the 12 apostles and the city bowl and you get epic views. With a wide variety of viewpoints, we decided to go with the Kasteelsport lookout, also known as the old cable car route.
Kasteelspoort is about a 2–4-hour hike depending on your pace, that starts in Camps Bay at the base of the 12 Apostles. The hike weaves through classic Cape Town fynbos, through a gorge up the side of the 12 Apostles. Once at the top of Kasteelspoort, you will see it, the iconic “diving board” rock that hangs above Camps Bay. This specific rock must be one of the best photo opportunities in Cape Town. The size of the rock and lack of tourists made it the perfect location for a Yoga shot.
2. Atlantis Dunes- Jeep tours.
About 45 minutes from Cape Town, you’ll find the Atlantis Dunes, one of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets. Up until recently, Atlantis dunes were mainly used by locals for 4x4’ing, quad biking and motocross. Atlantis dunes offer incredible picture opportunities. Huge white sand dunes that reach up to 50m high, with the backdrop of Table Mountain in the distance (the tabletop view) are incredible.
Jeep tours Cape Town offers day trips to the Atlantis Dunes which has made the Dunes and the activities in the Dunes possible for tourists.
We highly recommend Jeep Tours Cape Town. You’ll jump in a Jeep Wrangler with an experienced Driver that will leave you on your seat's edge. It’s a lot of fun. After you have been for the 4x4 spin around the dunes, you’ll be taken back to base camp in the heart of the dunes that have been set up with Shade and refreshments. You’ll have the opportunity to explore the dunes, get a couple of photos and give sandboarding a try if you are feeling adventurous.
For a detailed guide to the Atlantis Dunes, see here!
3. Norval Foundation
The Norval Foundation outdoor art gallery in Steenberg is a contemporary art museum and sculpture garden. Based in the Constantia Winelands, you will enjoy massive views of the valley.
If you enjoy art and being outdoors this is the place to visit. Did we forget to mention the beautiful restaurant that serves a wide variety of Cape Town wines that overlooks the gardens?
4. Wine Tasting Eagles Nest. Constantia wine valley.
Cape Town, and Constantia specifically, is spoilt for choice when it comes to great wine estates. What we love about Eagle’s Nest is the 4x4 drive to the top of the valley. It’s an experience.
5. Fine dining at Chefs Warehouse- Beau Constantia.
Beau Constantia wine estate is another one of the spectacular wine estates in Constantia. Beau is located at the top of Constantia, which makes for a breath-taking view of the valley.
Besides the view and delicious wine, what makes Beau Constantia special is the Chef’s warehouse. Chef’s warehouse is one of Cape Town’s best restaurants. Make sure you make a booking well ahead of time. It's a great fine dining experience with a view.
6. High Tea Cape Town at 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa.
You often drive past the 12 Apostles, on the way to Houtbay from Camps Bay. Whenever you see it, you think to yourself “this hotel looks amazing”. Well, it does look amazing from the road, but wait till you sit in the Leopard room for high tea or cocktails and look out over the ocean. It is incredible, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to some luxury oceanside hotel in Europe. Lucky the view of the Lion’s Head and the 12 Apostles reminds you, that you are still in Cape Town, which might be even better.
High Tea includes a selection of sushi, pastries, and a bunch more.
7. Cape Town Helicopter Flip with NAC Helicopters.
If you have got the money to do a Helicopter flip, do it! You won’t regret it. What I love about seeing Cape Town by helicopter is the view. Yes, that sounds obvious, but only from the air do you really get to appreciate and understand Cape Town. It’s great to see how Table Mountain is at the heart of the city, and how the mountains divide and split up the various towns and beaches. Cape Town looks like an island from Above. Another great view is seeing how signal hill and lion's head connect. After a Heli flip, you will fully understand, why it’s called Lion’s head!
8. Ocean Kayaking with Atlantic outlook.
Cape Town is surrounded by Ocean, 2 for that matter, the Indian and the Atlantic.
It goes without saying that being on the ocean surrounded by the local pod of dolphins and the odd whale with the backdrop of Cape Town and Table Mountain is a must-see. We got so close to the whales we could smell them. Imagine a 14m 2300kg whale burping out its krill breakfast. It’s a good little workout and really is special to be on the ocean. We recommend early mornings.
9. Chapmans Peak with Cape Town Side Car adventures.
If you visit Cape Town, there is no question, you must see Chapmans Peak, specifically at sunset. It is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see. There is also a good chance you’ll think, I would love to do this in a convertible with the top down or motorbike.
Well, how about in a sidecar of a vintage motorbike. We got picked up by, Cape Sidecar adventures with their mascot Brody the dog. Brody comes kitted out with his own pair of goggles, he is seriously cute, and no one loves hitting the open road more than him.
What is great about being in a sidecar while going over Chapman’s peak is you really get to experience it, with wind in your hair and no windows for great photo opportunities. We also loved the local biker guides and their little tribe you feel a part of for the experience.
10. Kite Boarding in Misty Cliffs.
Cape Town is the mecca for kiteboarding in Summer. With constant wind and swell almost all pro-kite-boarders migrate to Cape Town from November to February. With the wide variety of locations to choose from, we decided on Misty Cliffs, turquoise water, extreme conditions, and a beautiful backdrop of the Misty Cliffs made it the perfect spot for the video. Nick Jacobsen is widely considered one of the best Kite Boarders in the world.
11. Horse Riding Long Beach in Noordhoek.
Whether you are into horse riding or not, this is a really great way to experience Long beach. Noordhoek looks over Chapman’s Peak and Hout Bay, the view is incredible. We highly recommend this as a unique Cape Town activity. It also gives you a reason to check out Noordhoek and Kommetjie, 2 great little towns.
12. Burgers and Beers at Jack Black Brewery.
Cape Town loves its craft beer. One of the most popular brands to emerge in South Africa is Jack Black. You can find jack black in almost all bottle stores and on tap at local pubs.
What we love about jack black is the rustic feel. Driving into Diep River which is industrial you might feel that you are lost. Suddenly nestled between a couple of factories, you’ll see Jack Black. As you walk in, it feels like you have arrived at an Oasis. An Oasis of ice-cold craft beer. The beer is amazing and made on-site, we love how the tanks are on showcase. The food is what you would expect from a brewery, basic but delicious. Try the burgers.
13. Sabre a Champagne and wine tasting at Klein Roosboom, Durbanville.
Durbanville is another wine region in Cape Town, which a variety of wine estates we chose Klein Roosboom for their unique wine tasting rooms. Set in the old cellar concrete tanks, each tank has been converted into a private wine tasting room, each with its own theme. It’s really a special and unique wine tasting experience that we highly recommend, make sure you book ahead of time, as there are only a couple of rooms.
14. Sea Point Promenade, skate, cycle, scooter, run.
If you really want to feel like a local in Cape Town, head to Sea Point Promenade for either a ride, skate, walk or run. Cycling is a great way to cover the distance. If you are into Tandem Bicycles head over to Atlantic Outlook you can rent a tandem bike, tandem off a different challenge and they are either romantic or cheesy (you decide), either way, it’s fun, and it might make or break your relationship. If you’re not into tandems there are a couple of places to rent bikes by the Sea Point pool.
15. Mouille Point Light House
This lighthouse screams Cape Town. It’s hard to miss, I mean it is a lighthouse. We decided to show off our fancy camera moves and include them in the video as a hyper-lapse. You can also do a lighthouse tour, it’s pretty cool.
16. Best Cocktails in Cape Town- Cause and Effect Cocktail Kitchen in the V&A Waterfront.
Cape Town in general is known for great cocktails. With so many incredible restaurants with mountain and ocean views, it was hard to choose. Cause and Effect cocktails are a work of art! The easiest way to describe it is the fine dining of cocktails. We loved the use of local fynbos, rare local brandies, interesting presentation and use of science. Yes science, expect steam, test tubes and interesting apparatus. Cause and Effect are rated in the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. They are based in the V&A waterfront, or the beautiful Camps Bay strip.
17. Sun Downers at the President Hotel, Bantry Bay.
With a great view of the ocean specifically at sunset, The President hotel is an amazing place to grab a sundowner. In summer there is often a DJ at the pool on Sunday afternoons. It’s a vibe.
18. Pizzas and Cocktails on Bree Street at I LOVE THE DOUGH.
I love the DOUGH, is a trendy new pizza restaurant come bar. Locals will usually head over for a pizza and drinks pre or post a night out on the town. With its bright pink neon lights and DJ playing beats, it’s hard to miss. The crowd is young, mostly under 30, and the pizzas are great. I love the DOUGH Is located on Bree Street. Bree street is known for its great restaurants, bars, and art galleries. It’s without a doubt the trendy street of Cape Town.
19. Signal Hill at Night.
Signal Hill at night is beautiful, especially just after sunset. We love the view of the city lights as dawn fades into the night. Take a picnic and enjoy the sunset and watch how the city lights light up.
20. (Bonus) Rollercade Cape Town
Get ready for some fun. The new trendy Roller Skate rink in Cape Town.
Full article and details here!
We hope you enjoyed the article; everything here can be done in the Space of 3-4 days in Cape Town.
Photography by Craig Howes
Client: Wesgro (Western Cape Tourism) & Love Cape Town (Cape Town Tourism)
The Cape Town video forms part of a series of 6 videos of the Western Cape, South Africa for Wesgro.
Each video takes on a different region of the Western Cape, in the "Get in a good space" series. The greatest challenge was to create a compelling 2-minute tourism video of a city that has a wide variety of aspects to it. The brief was to show Cape Town and its wide-open spaces. To capture the feelings of joy, exploring, and connecting in a way that is positive to one's mental health, in the wake of a global pandemic. The contains the characteristic GPS coordinates that link each location filmed to a point on a map.
Directed by: Craig Howes of SoCoMunity
Produced by: Craig Howes and Robert Peters
D.O.P Craig Howes and Francois van Schalkwyk
Edit: Craig Howes and Francois van Schalkwyk
Get in touch with craig@socomunity.com for business enquiries.
