Salute Able Seaman Just Nuisance in Simon's TownFind the bronze statue of Able Seaman Just Nuisance in Jubilee Square, Simon's Town: the only dog ever officially enlisted in the Royal Navy, who got free train rides and the occasional beer. Render a respectful salute.WeirdMedium30 min
Watch the Noon Gun Fire on Signal HillClimb to the Lion Battery on Signal Hill before noon and stand near the 1794 cannons that have been blasting the city awake at 12:00 sharp since 1806. Try not to drop your phone when it fires.CultureMedium1 hr
Wrestle a Foot-Long GatsbyOrder the original chips-polony-achar Gatsby at Super Fisheries in Athlone, the Cape Flats spot where this absurd shareable sandwich was invented in the 1970s. It is meant for four people. You are not four people.Food & DrinkEasy40 min
Photograph the Giant Steel Sunglasses on Sea Point PromenadeFind Perceiving Freedom on the Sea Point Promenade: a giant pair of steel Ray-Ban Wayfarers staring at Robben Island, beloved by tourists and quietly resented by everyone else. Line up the lenses with the horizon.Photo HuntEasy20 min
Get Lost in a Wall of SpiceStep into Atlas Trading on Wale Street in the Bo-Kaap, the spice shop running since 1946, stacked floor to ceiling. Ask the brothers what goes into a Cape Malay curry and buy a tiny bag of something you cannot pronounce.Local DetailEasy30 min
Mine a Floor Made of GemstonesAt the Scratch Patch on Dido Valley Road near Simon's Town, grab a little bag and scratch through thousands of polished tiger's eye, amethyst and rose quartz stones carpeting the floor. Fill it like a slightly feral magpie.FamilyEasy30 min
Hunt for Treasure in Other People's JunkOn a weekend morning, comb the 250-odd stalls of Milnerton Flea Market on Marine Drive, where one person's broken typewriter is your new prized possession, all under a square-on Table Mountain view. Haggle for something gloriously useless.Hidden GemEasy1 hr
Find Woolley's Tidal Pool Near Kalk BayTrack down Woolley's Tidal Pool, hidden from the road between Kalk Bay and Clovelly and known mostly to regulars. Brave the cold dip in the deeper adults' side while everyone crowds the famous pools elsewhere.ActiveMedium45 min
Sip a Flat White in a Steampunk Fever DreamOrder a coffee at Truth Coffee Roasting on Buitenkant Street, a cathedral of cast iron, brass cogs and waiters in goggles built around a vintage roasting machine. Pretend you are a Victorian airship captain.SocialEasy40 min
Catch a Cult Film in a 1949 BallroomTake refuge from the rain at The Labia on Orange Street, South Africa's oldest indie cinema, in a former Italian embassy ballroom with its original ticket booth and a bar serving wine and brownies. Pick the weirdest film on the board.Rainy DayEasy1 hr 30 min
Run the Sea Point Promenade at sunriseJoin the locals jogging the flat ocean-side Sea Point Promenade just after dawn, when the dog walkers, run clubs and takeaway-coffee crowd take over the path. Pick a lighthouse or rock pool, run to it, and call it a workout.ActiveEasy45 min
Walk the Pipe Track contour pathSkip the cable car queue and take the gently rising Pipe Track from Kloof Nek, the contour path that hugs Table Mountain below the Twelve Apostles instead of climbing it. All the mountain views, almost none of the suffering.ActiveMedium1 hr 30 min
Find the Human Sundial in Green Point ParkLet the kids loose on the free playgrounds at Green Point Urban Park behind the stadium, then hunt down the human sundial where your own shadow tells the time and wander the wetland boardwalk past the waterbirds.FamilyEasy1 hr
Feed the squirrels in Company's GardenGrab a tiny bag of peanuts from the tea room in the Company's Garden and bribe the absurdly bold local squirrels to climb right onto the bench beside you. They have done this before and will absolutely judge your throwing technique.FamilyEasy30 min
Cannonball at the Sea Point PavilionCool off in the saltwater pools at the 1950s Sea Point Pavilion, where the kiddie pool is ankle-deep, the diving pool has proper boards, and lifeguards keep watch over the whole family-friendly splash zone.FamilyEasy1 hr 15 min