A layover in Cape Town is always full of adventure and bohemian vibes. With its vast shorelines, Kaapstad, as the locals call it, is truly terrific for adventure sports. Also, the mountainous topography is fantastic for hiking and quad-biking. And when the sun goes down, the rooftop bars and waterfront cafés light up – a truly heart-melting sight worth soaking in. So, whenever I get a chance to stop in Cape Town, I know it’s going to be epic!

Outdoorsy Cape Town: Hiking, Adventure Sports, & Penguins!

Cape Town offers everything any other outdoorsy destination does, but with a twist. Even the most common experience like going to the beach feels different here and for a very valid reason. Therefore, the crew and I prefer spending most of our layover in Cape Town outdoors. Some of our favorite outdoor experiences include:

• Hiking Up the Table Mountain

  With bright sunshine, lots of greenery & a glistening coastline surrounding all around, Cape Town is best-explored hiking. And literally, the top spot for doing that is Table Mountain. Offering spectacular 360-degree views, hiking here is thoroughly rewarding.

  Also, each time the crew and I choose a new hiking trail, as there are so many, ensuring a new explore each time! But if you are not much of a hiker, don’t worry, you can even take the cable car to the top. So, whatever you do, never miss this view!

  At times, it can get a cloud cover or the “Tablecloth,” as the locals call it, but otherwise, it is one of the most beautiful “stare into eternity” experiences!

  And if you want to take the adrenaline a few notches higher, ride a scooter down the mountain slope, and experience an unimaginable thrill! However, it’s always advisable to take a guided adventure tour with proper safety equipment.

• Get Adventurous in Cape Town

No layover in Cape Town is complete without indulging in a truly thrilling adventure. Adventurists like me are utterly spoilt for choices when we’re in CT. From Water Biking in False Bay to Scuba Diving with seals in the Great African Seaforest, every adventure touches your adventurous heart, in its own unique way.

The crew and I personally love the thrill of Coasteering in False Bay. We are an adventurous bunch and feel Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, and even Para Sailing are a little too tame for us. So, we love challenging ourselves with a pirate-style adventure, including a little bit of everything – rock scrambling, kloofing, canyoning, and even snorkeling.

And when we want to stay above ground, we love mountain biking and quad-biking near the apple and pear orchards in Elgin, offering a thoroughly relishing trail with bridges, streams, and forests scattered throughout.

• Swim with the Penguins at Boulder Beach

Who doesn’t love relaxing at bright sunny beaches? But would you mind a little company, or rather a colony? Most people wouldn’t if it were a colony of Penguins!

Yes, penguins on the beach, and no, there is no snow cover; Boulder Beach is a legit pristine sandy beach with turquoise water, rock outcroppings, and the works. On top of that, you also find these beautiful black and white, wild African Penguins waddling freely around the beach, ready to be clicked with!

Surprised? So were we when we first heard about them. So much so that we had to see them with our very own eyes. We were amazed to watch them gliding in the water like torpedoes! As we were warned to keep a safe distance from them, we let them approach us, and when they did, they were so friendly that they even invited us to swim with them!

Cape Town Nightlife: Waterfront Parties & Rooftop Bars

While the days in Cape Town are pretty eventful owing to the natural attractions, the nights are very relaxing. The crew and I love to relax at some of the coziest cafes listening to live music or simply admiring the city lights from a rooftop. Some of my most favorite nightlife experiences are:

• Get Grooving at VA Waterfront

  VA Waterfront is Cape Town’s soul! Just the atmosphere here puts on your party mode. The place is always buzzing with locals and tourists alike, and offers dozens of exciting activities. My favorite one is riding the Cape Wheel!

  It gives an unparalleled glimpse of the city from a 40-meter height, with brightly lit shorelines and waterfront cafés brimming with the partying crowd and buzzing with live Rock and Jazz.

  The crew and I even love playing a Cave putt-putt game or riding the Steamboat Vicky. Also, the Playdate SuperPark’s escape rooms and aerial obstacle course are truly mind-bending!

  And if you crave some street delights, there’s an array of stalls offering a kaleidoscope of cuisines – from Mexican to Asian to Italian!

• Explore Publik’s Wine Selection or Chinchilla’s Roof Top

A layover in Cape Town is vibrant no matter where you choose to spend it. With countless bars and pubs, CT offers, it can get daunting to choose one if you are in for just one night. Two of my favorite bars I can vouch for are Publik & Chinchilla.

Publik is very chic, but that doesn’t mean it is exorbitant. However, I love it for its selection of the most unusual wines. CT, situated close to so many vineyards, offers local flavors really hard to find elsewhere. On top of that, their food menu is as expansive as it gets, especially their mouth-watering seasonal small plates!

While Publik offers nourishment, Chinchilla takes care of the views. It’s considered one of the top 20 rooftop bars on the planet, for crying out loud! Situated along the sandy beach at Camps Bay, the bar is surrounded by tall palm trees, offering the perfect scenery for soaking in the mesmerizing coastal sunsets and nightlights.

Unique Cape Town Experiences!

• Cruise through Cape Town in Style!

  CT is consdered one of the best road-tripping cities globally, owing to the peninsula’s circular nature and the awe-inspiring coastal scenery. Therefore, it’s thoroughly elating to cruise through the city in an open-top Cobra or a classic convertible. Both self-drive and guided tours are available to choose from.

  And if you are anything like me who loves sweating it out, you can even go tandem bicycling along the coastline or escootering along the promenade. Whatever mode you choose, CT drives guarantee you epic sightseeing!

• Catch a Movie Under the Stars

  While watching a movie is unimaginably ordinary, CT makes it incredibly special, thanks to The Galileo Open Air Cinema. If you want a one-of-a-kind experience anywhere in the city, just grab a “movie under the stars” ticket and experience the magic!

  Snuggled under the blanket in comfortable lawn chairs the crew and I love watching the movies while gobbling up the delicious popcorn, sweets, shwarmas, and drinks from an array of artisanal food vendors. It’s unique, it’s fun, & it’s awesome for team bonding!

• Click Selfies at the Colorful Bo-Kaap

  If there is one iconic place in CT that you should never miss, it is the colorful Bo-Kaap. With candy-colored houses and cobblestone streets, filled with the aroma of Cape Malayan spices, this is probably as local as it gets!

  But this place is also a glimpse into the city’s past. Originally, all houses were painted white and rented to slaves. However, when slavery ended, enslaved people were given the right to own property, so they painted their houses in bright hues to celebrate their freedom!

Sien Jou Later, CT: You’re Breathtaking!

A layover in Cape Town surely adds sparks to a mundane routine life. There is so much to explore each time we visit. And even after countless layovers, I haven’t had the chance to hike at Lion’s Head and Cape Point, but that’s on my list, and so is wine tasting at Cape Winelands. Let’s see what my next layover in CT will be like.