Central Cape Town

The centre of town is just a 25 minute drive (also accessible by train) and is packed with things to keep you busy. When you've 'done' what you must - conquered Table Mountain, sailed to Robben Island and stood in Mandela's old cell, trawled the shops and harbours and soaked up the vibe of the Waterfront, checked out the historic Bo-Kaap Malay quarter, admired the vista from Lion's Head or Signal Hill, seen the old Castle and the Parliament buildings - there are plenty of street markets, restaurants, pubs, clubs and live music venues, theatres, historic buildings, museums and galleries to keep you entertained.

Day-trips

There are loads of great day trips you could take from Clovelly. Like the West Coast National Park (where prehistoric human footprints were recently discovered embedded in the rock) alongside the ecologically important Langebaan lagoon. The area is renowned for its rich carpets of flowers in springtime.

A little further along the coast, Fossil Park can be visited, a hotspot for ancient remains. Or rub cheeks with very large birds at the West Coast Ostrich Ranch. Visit the Cape's most beautiful wine routes (Stellenbosch is 45 minutes), drive through breathtaking mountain passes, meander round historic country towns like Franschoek, former mission stations like Genadendal or tranquil coastal villages such as Paternoster. The Karoo Botanical Garden at Worcestor showcases a vast array of succulent plants, trees and wildflowers.

Kalk Bay Fishing Village

Just round the corner is the vibrant fishing village of Kalk Bay. Long popular with Cape Town's art lovers, the heart of Kalk Bay with turn of the century buildings and cobbled alleyways is overflowing with galleries, antique and junk shops and crafters exhibiting wares ranging from designer cutlery to one-off furniture items. Kalk Bay is where South Africa's fishing industry began and is still a busy working harbour. Fish can be bought fresh from the boats as they land their catch, and the harbour walls are lined with anglers.

The village, packed with excellent restaurants, is fast becoming a haven for foodies. The Harbour House is renowned for its excellent range of seafoods. The Polana offers a Portuguese and Mozambican inspired menu and a cosy bar overlooking the surf crashing onto the rocks. Theresa is famous for her first-rate fillet and spicy lamb curries. The Olympia Cafe & Deli draws food-lovers from across the city with its rich French/Mediterranean fare. Habaneros provides wholesome, tasty vegetarian alternatives. And this to name but a few!

Silvermine Nature Reserve

Clovelly Lodge backs onto the Kalk Bay mountains — well known for their exciting network of more than 90 caves and underground tunnels — in the Silvermine Nature Reserve, where you can spend hours searching for the original mine-shaft or marvelling at the abundant flora and bird-life. The area has a high number of endemic ericas and other treasures of the Cape fynbos. An hour’s hike from the Lodge will take you up to Clovelly Cave with its spectacular panoramic views over False Bay and the Cape Flats.

Peer’s Cave, where the 12,000 year-old skull of the ‘Fish Hoek Man’ was discovered in 1927, is situated in the ancient dunes of the Fish Hoek Valley. The banks of the Valley’s Silvermine River are inhabited by a large community of amphibians, many of which occur nowhere else in the world.

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