Perched on the ocean below Chapman’s Peak, Tintswalo Atlantic has a wonderful advantage of being far enough away from the bustle of Cape Town, yet central in its proximity to all the wonders of the Cape Peninsula.
In under an hour’s drive from the lodge, you can be standing on the tip of Cape Point staring out at the magnificent two oceans, or viewing the penguins of Simon’s Town, or making your way up the famous Table Mountain, or doing a spot of shopping at the V&A waterfront, and return to the lodge and still feel like you have escaped to your own little piece of heaven.
Wth all of the amazing things to do in and around Cape Town, we have consolidated a list of some of the top day trips you can take from Atlantic.
As you leave the big iron gates at Atlantic, you are already on one of the Cape’s most spectacular drives - Chapman’s Peak.
This road hugs the mountainside of Hout Bay as you wind up to the tip of the drive, and the view opens up as you look down towards Kommetjie and beyond.
After an hour’s drive you reach the famous Cape Point Nature Reserve, and it’s here where you stand on the meeting point of two worlds - the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point.
Many a sailor rounded this point in the hope of finding riches in the east. After marvelling at the beauty of Cape Point, its a short drive to see the famous penguin colony at Simon’s Town, and then an onward journey out to the Cape Winelands of the afternoon, as you try out some of the harvests that make the Cape such a spectacular wine-making region.
This full day trip takes you to through some of the best coastal scenery in the world.
Beginning above the lodge on the famous Chapman’s Peak drive, you head to Camps Bay to experience the restaurants and white beaches of this cosmopolitan coastal area, under the shadow of the magnificent 12 Apostles mountains.
Then you visit the first and oldest harbour in South Africa in Hout Bay.
Then its onwards as you head out to experience the wonder of Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, where the meeting of two great oceans - the Indian and the Atlantic - creates a spectacular scene from the cliffs. The homeward journey takes you along the False Bay side of the peninsula, past Simon’s Town and the penguin colony, and finally, a quick stop at the magical gardens in Kirstenbosch to admire all the fynbos plants and flowers of the Cape Peninsula.
This beautiful, eye-opening day begins this day on one of the world’s Wonders of Nature—Table Mountain.
After a short drive from Atlantic, jump on the cable car to the top of the mysteriously flat mountain top and enjoy the beautiful views of the whole of Cape Town, its mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean.
After admiring the city from above, head down to enjoy a bit of Cape Town history and visit the Parliament Buildings, the Company’s Garden, Apartheid Museum in District Six, the Slave Museum, and the Cape Malay Quarters (Muslim Community), the Old City Hall. Also head to see the Slave Tree which once stood under which the merciless activity of slave selling the took place in Cape Town’s early history.
End off at the oldest surviving building in South Africa, the Castle of Good Hope.
What better way to spend a day-trip than sipping on some of the Cape’s famed wines out in the magnificent winelands.
The Cape winelands are a visual (and gourmet) feast of green valleys, spectacular mountains, fine cuisine and beautiful vineyards.
One of the best ways to explore the Cape Winelands is a road trip through valleys and around peaks, the landscape’s scenery is as much a feature as its fine wines.
In one day you can visit three off the top regions in the area: Stellenbosch - The wine Capital of South Africa; Franschoek: The magical historical wine valley established by the French Huguenots in 1668, and Paarl; made up of beautiful wine hills. Each town has its unique ambience, and each farm is a tasting sensation.
Leaving in the morning from Atlantic, you embark on a scenic coastal drive to the whale watching capital of Hermanus.
On the way, stop at the Gordon’s Bay harbour and onward to Betty’s Bay, where you can enjoy the local colony of penguins at Stony Point, which is one of only two places to view penguins in Africa.
Once reaching Hermanus, it's a great idea to explore the town, and take a stroll on one of the long coastal walks that finge the rocks. Be on the lookout for the Southern Right Whales that sometimes come close to the shore.
If you don’t manage to see the whales from the side-lines, get further into the action by booking a boat trip to a few favourite spots for the Southern Right Whales and watch them in their natural habitat. Enjoy the beautiful scenic drive back to Cape Town through the evergreen winelands of Caledon and Grabouw, while passing through the magnificent Houw Hoek Pass and Sir Lowry’s pass.
Cue the music from Jaws! The cape has one of the densest populations of the feared Great White Shark in the world, and if you are so inclined to see one up close, it just takes a day away from the lodge to make it happen.
Trips leave from Simon’s Town harbour for Seal Island in False Bay (home to 75 000 seals and 24 different bird species including a Penguin colony).
This is a favourite hunting ground of the White Shark, and it’s here where you can jump inside a cage to see them underwater, or maybe even see a natural predation. Enjoy spectacular views from your boat en-route to the island, with Cape Point in the distance, Table Mountain and Constantia vineyards on your left and the majestic Hottentots Holland Mountains ahead.
Be on the lookout for Dolphins, Humpback and Bryde’s Whales all year round, and Southern Right Whales from July to November as you enjoy a 16km (45mins) boat trip to your encounter with the Great White Sharks.
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