Make a point of it

When visiting Cape Town, there are three things you simply shouldn't miss: taking the cable car up Table Mountain, enjoying seafood along a harbour, and exploring Cape Point National Park in your rig.

- Words and photos Cyril Klopper

Cape Town enjoys an average of 3 094 hours of sunshine a year – the closest a European city comes to that is Athens in Greece with 2 769 hours. So, chances are the weather will be on your side when you visit the Mother City.

Have your ID or driver's licence ready at the Cape Point National Park entrance to show you're a local. The entry fee is R455 p.p., but visitors with a South African ID pay only R105 p.p. (R55 for children).

Follow Smitswinkel Road for 2,5 km until a roadside sign points you right, towards Olifantsbos. The 11 km tar road winds past rocky outcrops and fynbos to a beach where the rusted shipwrecks of the Thomas T. Tucker and Nolloth can still be seen. Here, you'll find a grassy area for picnics and ablution facilities, though braais are not allowed.

Head back to Smitswinkel Road and turn right towards Cape Point. The first pull-off is the Smitswinkelvlakte hiking trail. Parking is at the GPS coordinates S34.28981 E18.44888, where you'll also find a bench with a view over the plain. The trail itself is only 200 m long – the perfect chance to stretch your legs.

About 2,5 km further along Smitswinkel Road, there's a turnoff to the left that leads to the Bordjiesrif picnic site on the False Bay coast. On the way, you'll pass a replica of Vasco da Gama's stone cross, first planted here in 1497, before parking next to a large tidal There are ablution facilities and braai spots, and on holidays the picnic pool. The site is packed with day visitors.