Situated on the coast of South Africa, with Table Mountain, the Atlantic and Indian Ocean and many varied terrains to explore, adventure activities in Cape Town can be found in abundance. The laid back atmosphere, warm weather and stunning beaches of the Mother City make it all too easy to focus on the good things in life rather than worry about work, stress and other seriousness. It is not surprising then that Capetonians love to spend their time jumping off bridges, throwing themselves out of planes, exploring the ocean depths or doing anything else that involves living life to the max. Here are some of the most popular ways to get your pulse racing in Cape Town:
Shark cage diving is one of the most popular Cape Town daytours, and for good reason. If you can imagine coming face to face with Great White sharks, then this is sure to be an experience you will not forget. In the words of our mate Francois who recently did his first white shark dive, “At one point there were 3 massive sharks circling the cage – I nearly kakked myself!!” And if you want to dive with sharks without the cage head head to Aliwal Shoal
Bungee Jumping. Cape Town is home to the world’s most famous bungee jumping spot at Bloukrans Bridge, on the West Coast. This is where you will be fitted into your bungee harness, before leaping into the gorge below at terrifying speeds. Most locals in Cape Town have jumped Bloukrans at least once, with many making an annual pilgrimage to enjoy the thrill all over again every year.
Sky Diving. For those who love heights, sky diving is an excellent addition to any Cape Town tour, with tandem and single jumps on offer depending on your experience. Training and safety instruction is included in beginner jumps, and videos of the jump can be requested at extra charge. Proving that you are never too old to enjoy the high life, my mother recently did her first jump – the look on her face as she tries to sum up the feeling of dropping thousands of feet into the air says it all!
Abseiling. Cape Town abseiling opportunities abound, with excellent spots at Silvermine Nature Reserve and Kamikaze Kanyon and along the West Coast. Silvermine is one of the best spots that I have tried, even if the hike up to the drop is steep and rather brutal – at one point we were climbing up at a good 10 feet or more, on the edge of the mountain with nothing but the occasional shrub to hold on to. Once we got to the drop though, the views made it all worthwhile, spanning across the entire peninsula. The drop included a nice freefall in the last few feet, which was amazing.
Rock Climbing. Cape Town offers many climbing routes and levels for all levels of climbers, with relatively easy, moderate and extremely challenging options across a range of mountain regions in Cape Town and surrounds. The West Coast is particularly good, with Hermanus offering some great climbs.
Paragliding. Soar high over the beaches of Camps Bay over white beaches, blue seas and the beautiful Table Mountain with paragliding adventures that are sure to leave you wanting to stay up in the air forever as you soar over the crowds enjoying a few drinks at La Med down below. The Garden Route and Hermanus areas in the Cape Province are also excellent places for paragliding in Cape Town.
Game Fishing. Deep sea game fishing in Cape Town is a battle of wills as you navigate rough seas to try and haul in massive and strong game fish like Tuna and Marlin. This is fishing as you’ve never experienced it before, and requires courage, strength and power! A word to the squeamish too – things get very messy on board. The last trip we did included a massive 20kg tuna being chopped up on deck, which is not something you can to witness, especially if you are prone to sea sickness like I am.
Sand Boarding. Excellent as part of a full day or a half day Cape Town tour, sand boarding on the dunes of Atlantis along the West Coast is not to be missed. One tip that a friend had to learn the hard way is to wear extra pairs of socks, or super thick socks – the friction is unreal, and the blisters you get are not at all pretty.
Sea Kayaking. Sea kayaking is a great way to explore the seas of Cape Town, spotting seals, penguins, whales and many other marine creatures as you paddle the often tumulus waves of the Atlantic Ocean. As this is one of the more ‘sedate’ options, it also works well as a date activity. Be warned though – she will not appreciate any plans you have to subtly capsize the kayak so that you can save the day. Also, there are sharks lurking beyond the waters.
Quad Biking Quad biking is one of the most eco-friendly ways to explore the landscapes of the Cape, setting off across a host of trails to cruise the Cape countryside at speeds of up to 80km per hour. Add to the fun by doing an off-road race with your mates for even more adventure. Experienced drivers can even try a river crossing, making this a highly popular choice of adventure activities in Cape Town.
These are just a few of the thrilling adventure activities on offer in the Mother City of South Africa, and believe me each and every one of them is worth the price by the adrenaline rushing through your system! For the not so adventurous travellers, there are oodles of more relaxing activities and sights to see in and around our beautiful city.
This article was written by Darren Jones, a travel writer at African Eagle Day Tours offering Cape Tours in and around the City of Cape Town, South Africa. Some of the best tours in Cape Town include the Cape Peninsula, Garden route tours and Cape Town safari tours.
How many of these adventure activities have you dared to try? Which would you recommend? Please share your experience and this post too if you like it!
Great list! Although, a couple of these things I wouldn’t be doing, haha…most would be amazing! South Africa is certainly on my list!! Are these your photos? They are really great if they are!
Well, I credited the photographers at the end of the article 🙂
Man all these things seem amazing. Hopefully I get a chance to do all these things at least once in my life. It really seems like quite the experience.
If you really want to it is just a matter of time!
I’ve nearly done all these things on your list. Great list by the way..just got to do some skydiving. Kite surfing should be on this list as well. South Africa has some great kite surfing sites.
Yeah… I won’t do bungee jumping but I REALLY want to do the Great White Shark thing. Looks AMAZING.