Cape Point South Africa
Cape Point, South Africa

Home » Cape Town Blossoms (and Reopens Some Parks) After Fires

Cape Town Blossoms (and Reopens Some Parks) After Fires

Several parts of the Cape Peninsula’s parks have reopened to visitors, six months after devastating fires tore across Table Mountain and vast stretches of Constantia and Silvermine, and engulfed the mountainside above Muizenberg and False Bay. All of the Cape Peninsula, including Silvermine (which reopened yesterday), Table Mountain and the beaches as well as Cape Point, fall […]

Cape Point South Africa
Cape Point, South Africa

Several parts of the Cape Peninsula’s parks have reopened to visitors, six months after devastating fires tore across Table Mountain and vast stretches of Constantia and Silvermine, and engulfed the mountainside above Muizenberg and False Bay.

The view from Constantia Nek
The view from Constantia Nek. Photo: www.tammylieberman.com

All of the Cape Peninsula, including Silvermine (which reopened yesterday), Table Mountain and the beaches as well as Cape Point, fall under the auspices of Table Mountain National Park.

Cape Point South Africa
Cape Point, South Africa

As the park itself notes, its ambit includes mountains, beaches, forests and oceans.

Tokai at dusk
Tokai at dusk. Photo: www.tammylieberman.com

For visitors there is everything from hiking to dog walking, hang- and paragliding, rock climbing, horse riding, mountain biking and line fishing, but the park also says to do it  respectfully.

Tokai forest
Tokai Forest. Photo: www.tammylieberman.com

TMNP reopened Silvermine East on Monday, 14 September, just in time for South African National Parks’ annual week of free entry to most of its parks around the country.

Table Mountain accommodation
Olifantsbos Guest House, near Cape Point. Photo: SANParks.

The reopened Silvermine pathways include Pecks Valley, Bailey’s Kloof, Spes Bona, Echo Valley, Trappies Kop, Ou Kraal and Steenberg Plateau.

Tintswalo Hotel
Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge, which was destroyed by the fire and is being rebuilt. Photo: Tintswalo.

Sections of Tokai and Silvermine have been closed off to visitors since the fires, and restoration teams have been working tirelessly to rebuild the various footpaths and infrastructure that was destroyed.

Table Mountain on fire

Parts of Table Mountain reopened in August.

Tokai forest
Tokai forest. Photo: www.tammylieberman.com

Anyone heading to the newly opened sections should also remember that Table Mountain National Park has accommodation for rent in various sections of the peninsula, including chalets and tents.

Mountain regrowth after #CapeFire
Cape Town mountain regrowth after the #CapeFires

Also advertised on its site is the privately owned Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge outside Hout Bay., which was destroyed by the blaze but is being quickly rebuilt and will be reopened on 31 October 2015.

The famed four-day Hoerikwaggo Trail across the peninsula remains closed for the time being.

Penguins at Boulders Beach, South Africa
Penguins at Boulders Beach, South Africa

A detour to the land-based colony of African penguins at Boulders is always worth the detour.

Restaurant Olympia Cafe
The much heralded Olympia Cafe in Kalk Bay. Photo: Olympia Cafe, FB page.

A few places to eat along the way are Olympia Cafe & Deli  in Kalk Bay and Franck Dangereux’s Foodbarn in Kommetjie.