Cape Town Collections
Penguins nesting on a suburban beach, seals holding an offshore rock, and two places built to bring the rest of it within reach.
Cape Town’s wildlife is unusually easy to reach. A colony of African penguins nests on a beach inside a residential suburb, and thousands of Cape fur seals hold a rocky island a short boat ride from a working harbour. Neither asks for a safari, a permit or a long drive.
This is a small collection, so all of it is below rather than split into a shortlist and a longer catalogue. Two are wild colonies you visit on their own terms; two are places where the animals are cared for and the visit is arranged around you.
Penguin colony
The African penguin colony in Simon’s Town, viewed from boardwalks inside Table Mountain National Park
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Aquarium
A family favourite at the V&A Waterfront, showcasing marine life from two oceans.
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Seal colony
A rocky island just offshore from Hout Bay where thousands of Cape fur seals gather, offering one of Cape Town’s most memorable marine wildlife experiences.
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Bird sanctuary
Walk through spacious aviaries, discover extraordinary birdlife and meet small animals in a tropical garden setting beneath the mountains of Hout Bay.
ExploreA marine bird rehabilitation centre at Kleinbaai where the public can watch African Penguins being brought back to health.
ExploreA Cape gannet breeding colony off Lamberts Bay, reached on foot along the harbour breakwater.
ExploreThirty four thousand hectares of Overberg coast and mountain, with the last Western Cape vulture colony at one end and whales off the other.
ExploreA big cat sanctuary near Paarl that states plainly it does no breeding, no trade and no visitor contact.
ExploreHand-in-trunk walks and brush-downs with a resident herd at The Crags, on Animal Alley outside Plettenberg Bay.
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Six linked wetland, coastal and conservation sections managed as one reserve on the northern shore of False Bay
ExploreA coastal fynbos garden at Bettys Bay where two kloof walks end at waterfalls, one of them flat enough for a wheelchair.
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A 402-hectare reserve on the Hottentots Holland slopes above Somerset West, with boardwalks, picnic lawns and mountain footpaths
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A 16-hectare wetland and bird sanctuary at the heart of Century City
ExploreA Garden Route elephant park where visitors walk among the herd and feed them by hand, on the N2 between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
ExploreA seasonal coastal vlei north of Velddrif with three bird hides and 183 species on the list.
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A 290-hectare Cape Flats wetland of bird hides, reed beds and resident hippos
ExploreA working seabird hospital in Table View that runs guided tours through the wards, every hour of the day.
ExploreThe third largest African Penguin breeding colony in the world, at Bettys Bay, with a boardwalk running through it.
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880 hectares of wetland, river and lowland fynbos on Cape Town's northern edge
ExploreAn open-air wildlife education centre near Muldersvlei, built around four giraffe and a programme of animal encounters.
ExploreMore than a thousand Indian Runner ducks crossing the lawns on their way out to work in the vineyards.
ExploreA predator park and a childrens animal farm on a Stellenbosch wine estate, with guided big cat feeding tours twice a day.
ExploreThe park wrapped around Langebaan Lagoon, where migrant waders arrive in their thousands and one hide looks straight onto the mudflats.
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BeachesFrom sheltered coves to long Atlantic beaches and famous stretches of Cape sand.7 places
Birdwatching12 places
Historic LandmarksFortresses, churches, houses and streets where the city’s past is still visible.24 places
MarketsFood, crafts, local produce and neighbourhood markets worth browsing.7 places
Museums & CultureMuseums, galleries and cultural places that tell the stories of the Cape.19 places
Nature & ParksMountains, reserves, gardens and protected landscapes around the city.32 places
Scenic DrivesCape Town’s most memorable roads, where the journey is part of the experience.5 places
Scenic ViewpointsLookouts and elevated places for some of the city’s defining views.7 places
Tidal PoolsSeawater pools around the peninsula for swimming beside the ocean.9 places
Waterfronts & HarboursWorking harbours, promenades and waterside places to explore.5 placesTell us what you have in mind and we will come back to you with availability and options.