If there’s one city that combines amazing scenery, delicious food, pristine beaches and friendly locals, it has to be Cape Town! Nicknamed as the Mother City, it was the first city in South Africa to be established in 1652 as a refuelling station for Dutch ships heading to the East, thus giving birth to civilisation and gaining it’s nickname. Because of this, the city also acquired another nickname, ‘Cape Grab’ as hotels would charge sailors extortionate prices for staying here. Now it has become a diverse city with mixed cultural heritage and a vibrant scene full of energy and innovative ideas.
Best time to go
Cape Town has a resemblance to Mediterranean weather and it pretty much warm all year round. The time you choose to go will depend on what kind of activities you plan on doing out there.
January to April – These are considered the best months to go for the beach and outdoor activities. Towards the last 2 months you’ll see the prices drop as these are shoulder months and typically there will be fewer crowds. We visited in January and the weather was fantastic everyday, with long days and reaching a temperature of around 30°C.
May to August – This is when winter begins and it starts to get a bit cooler (but still not as cold as London winter!) with temperatures averaging between 11°C and 20°C. This time would be perfect if you want to save a bit of money on accommodation and flights. This is the peak season for whale watching.
September to December – The start of spring brings local events such as wine festivals, beach parties and and music shows. September also marks the end of whale watching season and the start of when the flowers start to bloom.
How long to spend here
A minimum of 10 days, although this will be a bit rushed and you’ll wish you stayed longer!
Eco Tip 14: Follow the eco brick concept and pack as much plastic in one bottle to avoid plastic from being separated into different waste systems
Getting There
Thomas Cook had just introduced their direct flights from London to Cape Town International airport so we took advantage of this and booked our flights through Skyscanner. For a 12 hour flight, it seemed to go pretty quick with a few films here and there, some naps in between and spending some time reading my book. As we arrived we picked up our rental car that we had pre-booked and we were ready to start our trip!
Where To Stay
We rented an apartment from AirBnb and stayed in Camps Bay, an area with white sandy beaches and tropical palm trees. We love a coastal view and wanted to have a break from the city life so that drove our decision to stay here. The beauty of Cape Town is that you’re surrounded by stunning views all over, so staying here allows you to get the beach and mountain vistas and you’re only 20 minutes away from the city centre. Booking an AirBnb not only supports the locals, but you also get the chance to experience life as a local, feeling somewhat more authentic.
🌿 What Makes Cape Town An Eco Destination?
Listed as one of the world’s top 10 sustainable cities, Cape Town has been exploring different ways of becoming a green city and is heavily pushing their Energy2040 climate change programme. This is to aim to reduce carbon emissions by 13% by 2020, and 37% by 2040. This will also try to provide new job opportunities, reduce energy poverty and climate risks facing the poor, as well as increase resource efficiency. The city has also set an aim to get 10% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, with more and more solar panels and wind turbines being introduced.
It’s not just the government and councils making changes, locals are actively being more eco conscious and are starting to grow their own vegetables, using more solar panels and opening eco-friendly businesses for clothing, food and non profit organisations to raise awareness.
7 Simple Ways To Travel Sustainably in Cape Town
The city has so much to offer and is filled with coastal views, amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes. After suffering a drought a few years ago, Cape Town has managed to bounce back and are now more eco-conscious than ever, even making the big step of reducing their water consumption by 60% in three years.
From hiking one of the world’s 7 Wonders of Nature to sunbathing on the beach with waddling penguins at your feet. There are also excellent views for the perfect road trip and an abundance of vineyards where you can feast on locally produced wine to your heart’s content (and it’s good for the soul!)
Hiking
Cape Town is home to plenty of breathtaking hikes and the most popular being the Table Mountain. This will take around 2 hours, or if you feel like you just can’t wait to get to the top, there is a cable car that will cost you 95 Rand (approx. £4.20) one way. All within the same vicinity you have Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak, each offering views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean.
Safari
There are several game reserves as close as just under 2 hours from the city and this is where you’ll get the opportunity to visit the Big Five. Game lodges tend to be friendly by providing jobs for the locals, using fresh produce and the majority of the time using energy efficient solutions. We had a lovely stay at Inverdoorn Game Reserve, just a 2 and a half hour drive from Cape Town.
Learn more in related article: What We Loved About Inverdoorn Game Reserve
Cycling
Second to walking, there’s no better way to explore a city than on a bike. You can take local guided tours or simply explore on your own and stop wherever you please. If you don’t fancy working up a sweat, you can always hire an E-bike and let it do the work for you! These are fitted with a battery so you won’t have to put in too much work. The city has invested in new safe-cycle routes and their ‘My CiTi’ service allows bikes on buses for free to help people get around easier with the hope of car usage being reduced.
Winery tours
No Cape Town trip is complete without visiting a vineyard. South Africa is one of the key wine nations and even if you’re not into your wine, here you could easily be converted! Many wineries are slowly becoming more sustainable in the way they nurture their environment. Backsberg became South Africa’s first carbon-neutral winery back in 2006. This means that they have a zero carbon footprint and manage their energy consumption responsibly. Spier and Stellenbosch are also up there when it comes to sustainable wineries, both allowing tourists to experience the land through nature, and introducing programmes for the city’s poorer communities to educate them in caring for indigenous trees and plants.
Tip: The World Wildlife Fund app lists the most sustainable wineries in the Cape Town/Western Cape region, along with which ones have eco bike and hiking trails.
Water Activities
Being a coastal city, Cape Town is blessed with white sand beaches and offers plenty of water activities. Here you can go whale watching or if you can brave the freezing cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, try snorkelling with seals while educating yourself on marine life. One of the most well known beaches is Boulders Beach in Simonstown, where you’ll find a colony of penguins walking around, swimming and nesting all while you sunbathe!
Tip: The Regional Tourism Office has set up a website where you can track your water usage then offset it by donating to a local conservation project.
Learn more in related article: What We Learned From Shark Cage Diving (And Can It Be Ethical?)
Such A Graceful Animal!
Our Glamping Tent at Inverdoorn Game Reserve
Go Online
If you don’t feel like walking around town, there are companies that have taken the eco business online and are consciously making efforts to reduce their waste and carbon footprint.
Faithful to Nature – An online store for sustainable living, selling goods from vitamins to backpacks and just general wellbeing. They interesting thing about this site is that they have different ethical shopping filters; plastic free, cruelty free, GMO free and fair trade.
Edible Co – Vegetarian boxes delivered around the area with locally sourced food
The Wren Design – Something different, this company creates durable laptop bags from recycle cement and coffee bags
Visit local markets or stores
Supporting local businesses is not only a great way to lift the regional economy, it’s also an excellent chance to gain more insight into an area.
Nude Foods – The first plastic free grocery store in Cape Town. They encourage customers to bring their own containers from home, or if not, they’re able to purchase glass jars, bottles and reusable mesh and cotton bags. We happened to only be carrying beach towels with us that day so we just put all our goods in there and tied it up like a sack!
The Neighbourgoods Market – Occurring every Saturday, this market seemed more of a social gathering than people coming to do their weekly shop. It’s a large space filled with food stalls and fresh produce, as well as some local artisan goods.
Oranjezicht Market – We heard many locals talk about this market as being the go-to farmers market. They sell ready made food, fruit juices, cheeses, fruit and vegetables and is open on both Saturday and Sunday.
Shop Zero – Another plastic free store with a vegan cafe, they sell plenty of goods from bamboo underwear to soaps and sunscreen. Don’t forget to bring your own bag so you can weigh it and fill it up!
Artvark – A store with locally made crafts and artwork, they also host community events such as art exhibitions and musical performances.
