Cape Town’s 5 most thrilling outdoor adventures

Cape Town is a dream destination for anybody who likes to get outdoors and explore beautiful countryside and a coastline of endless spectacular views. Here are five of the best ways to explore the Mother City. Take a motorcycle sidecar tour If you’ve ever yearned to feel the wind in your hair and sun on your face as you whiz past stunning scenery this unique Cape Town tour is for you. Get togged out in leather jacket and old style helmet and goggles, climb into the World War II vintage sidecar and let the adventure begin! With options from short rides along the breathtaking coastline to full day tours around the Cape Peninsula or through the beautiful Winelands, this tour will show you Cape Town in style. Two passengers can travel (or three if one is a young child) with one in the sidecar and one riding pillion behind the bike chauffeur. The vehicles are stable and proceed at a stately pace so they are ideal for young and old and perfect for those who’ve never dared ride a motorbike before. Definitely one of the highlights of a visit to Cape Town. Kayak along the stunning coastline The coastline around Cape Town is nothing short of spectacular and viewing it from the sea gives a whole new perspective on its beauty. There are several places along the coast where it’s possible to go on guided sea kayaking tours. Highlights include seeing the penguin colony at Boulders Beach or having whales or dolphins as your companions as you paddle through the ocean. Sea kayaks are stable and easy to operate so no experience is needed, only a sense of fun and adventure. Hike on Table Mountain Looming majestically over the Mother City, Table Mountain is the globally recognised icon of Cape Town. Most visitors take the cable car up the mountain but for a real adventure you can hike up and spend the night at the top. There are literally hundreds of hiking routes, from the well trodden path of Platterklip Gorge to the wilderness of the Hiddingh Ascension, so there’s enough variety to satisfy everybody. The mountain is a utopia for amateur botanists with more species of planet than the entire British Isles. From a distance the mountain looks flat on top but in fact its diverse topography includes valleys, ravines and even and lake and dam. Take a guide with you to explore the best the mountain has to offer and spend the night at one of the lake-side huts, awakening to the fragrance of the surrounding flowers and vegetation. Kiteboard between Two Oceans With the city standing at the crossroads of two great oceans, the Atlantic and Indian, it’s a windy place making it ideal for kiteboarding enthusiasts. One of the most popular spots is the world class Dolphin Beach with consistent wind and waves. It’s ideal for experienced boarders to show what they can do but also suitable for beginners and there are several schools close by to show you the ropes. The added bonus of boarding here is the stunning view of Table Mountain. Definitely a good spot for meeting fellow boarders. As you might expect, the waters around Cape Town are chilly and a wetsuit is required year-round. Abseil off Table Mountain A definite adrenaline buzz! Surrounded by stunning scenery, participants step off of the top of the mountain and into thin air whilst secured by what might seem like an all-too-thin rope. It’s the highest commercial abseil in the world with the descent starting 1000m metres above sea level and dropping for over 100m in length.  A steep hike takes you back to the top of the mountain from where you can get the cable car back down. Candice Bain is Founder at Desert to Jungle. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.