Outdoor activities to enjoy in Cape Town this Summer

Cape Town is a real summer city. It truly comes alive when the sun is out because most of the activities and fun things to do are outdoors. This is what makes Cape Town a fantastic place – it’s a beautiful place to enjoy the sun, sand, sea and all that nature has to offer, while also enjoying the energetic vibe that only a city could provide. 

Whether you’re visiting Cape Town this summer, or are a local, you’ll certainly find this post helpful as we list our favourite outdoor activities home to Cape Town alone. We’ve made sure to include something for every type of traveller, whether you’re into adventure, relaxation, or are keen to immerse yourself in nature. 

Visit Franschhoek’s wine farms

A visit to the Franschhoek wine estate is an absolute must-do. Visitors and locals love taking a trip to Franschhoek during the summer time because they’re able to picnic on the lawns at the wine farms, and sip wine under the gorgeous African sun. I mean it doesn’t get much better than that. Actually, maybe it does! Franschhoek also has a wine tram which allows visitors to ‘farm-hop’, and try the various wines produced by all the best wine farms along its route. It’s an incredibly fun activity worth doing with a group of friends or family – or just you and your travel partner. Although Franschhoek is about 45 minutes outside of the city by car (which may seem a little far to some), it is absolutely worth it. Not only will you be sampling some of the world’s best wines but you’ll be mesmerised by the exquisite beauty of the vineyards, valley and gorgeous mountains. And that’s not all – Franschhoek is known for their award-winning restaurants run by world-reknown chefs so be prepared for a gastronomic surprise!

Bicycle along the Seapoint Promenade

The Seapoint promenade is the best place to go for a jog, a stroll, a picnic and even a bicycle ride. You can rent one quickly and easily from the vendors along the sidewalk and it comes highly recommended. Riding your bicycle, your partner by your side, with perfect views of the ocean, the fresh sea air, people aplenty, and an abundance of amazing restaurants and cafe’s dotted along the strip, it is the perfect morning, afternoon or early evening activity. Remember the promenade stretches from Granger Bay all the way to Clifton, and it’s a worthwhile trip cycling through the different areas – but be prepared to spend hours outdoors! 

Paraglide off Lions Head

For those looking for some thrill and adventure, one of Cape Town’s favourite adventure activities is paragliding. While there are a few places one can paraglide in the Cape, it is something special from Lion’s Head. Lion’s Head has the most incredible views of the city and it’s also one of the cities most loved and most famous peaks (that’s after Table Mountain of course). From Lions Head you’ll be ‘flown’ above Seapoint and parts of Bantry Bay, but most importantly you’ll get uninterrupted views of the ocean. We’d recommend paragliding during early morning, preferably during sunrise for the most extraordina ry views, or during sunset – but it’s important to keep an eye on the wind. Cape Town is known to be the ‘windy city’ so preparation is essential no matter what you’re doing!

Visit Clifton Beach

Clifton Beach is actually made up of four small beaches, namely Clifton 1, 2, 3 .. etc. The Clifton beach you decide to visit will largely be dependent on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for vibe (and lots of people) Clifton fourth is the place to go. Tourists frequent this beach, and it’s also here that the yachts stop for sundowners so it really is quite festive. Clifton second on the other hand is ideal for relaxing and throwing the ball to your pet pooch – this beach is a lot quieter and more laid back, and of course filled with locals. Clifton first and third are quite small, but also worth the visit, however, these are accessed via Clifton second and fourth.

Kayak along the coast, surrounded by dolphins 

Not many people know this, but the coast of Cape Town is alive with large populations of dolphin. Three Anchor Bay is where they typically congregate, and it’s from here that you can rent a kayak and be guided to where they are. They are known to put on quite a show for the visitors, and often jump out the water right in front of the kayak group. I mean, we don’t need to say much more to sell this activity, do we?!