The Cape Peninsula and the Winelands give Cape Town an unusually rich set of day trips. South along the Atlantic, Hout Bay is a fishing village with a working harbour and seal-watching boats, and the western end of Chapman's Peak Drive — nine cliff-edge kilometres carved into the mountainside on the way to Noordhoek. Around the False Bay side, Simon's Town is a Victorian naval town within walking distance of the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, while Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope reserve mark the dramatic, wind-blown tip of the peninsula. A full loop of the peninsula takes a relaxed day.
Inland, the Cape Winelands are an hour east, with Stellenbosch and Franschhoek as the two historic centres — Cape Dutch architecture, good restaurants and dozens of estates open for tasting. A day trip is feasible but tight; many visitors take a guided tour to avoid driving between tastings. Closer to home, Robben Island is technically within Cape Town but requires a ferry and the better part of a day, so book well ahead.
