Extreme Adventures in and around Cape Town
Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving
exploration to areas, where the traveller should expect the
unexpected. Adventure tourism is rapidly growing in popularity
as tourists seek unusual holidays, different from the typical
beach vacation.
On the Mountain
Abseiling off Cape Town's magnificent Table Mountain is
one of the most exhilarating experiences in the world. To begin your mind-blowing
adventure there is a choice of hiking up the mountain on one
of its many gorgeous routes or taking the 7 minute trip on the
revolving cable car, the panoramic views from the car are some
of the best in the world. Abseiling off the mountain entails
stepping off the top at 1000 meters above sea level, and
repelling into pure oblivion, while surrounded by awesome views
and the wide stretch of the blue Atlantic down below.
If plunging into thin air doesn't appeal to you why not
mountain bike up this magnificent natural wonder.
Mountain Biking day trips on Table Mountain have been carefully
designed to offer guests of all experience levels a challenging,
fun-filled experience. There are two amazing mountain bike
trails that will take you on a magnificent tour of the mountain.
The trails showcase some of the most breathtaking views of Table
Bay, Robben Island, Lions Head and the city bowl.
In the Air
Paragliding from one of Cape Town's many sites which
include Lion's Head, Signal Hill, and Dassklip Pass, is a
thrilling adventure. Paragliding is considered an extreme sport
but for those who have no experience, tandem Paragliding is the
solution - with an over-sized, specially designed tandem glider
and two harnesses, the sport now invites all who wish to explore
the skies and soar the mountain tops, but don't want to learn to
paraglide on their own. Being the passenger rather than the one
in control you are afforded the fantastic views of the
mountains, ocean and earth below you. Once you have paraglided
you will want to do it time and time again.
Tandem Skydiving is hailed as the ultimate adrenaline
sport! The views from the plane on the 30minute trip up to
9000ft are amazing. Once you hit the 9000ft mark you jump
freefalling for the first 5000ft before the parachute is opened.
Not only is the jump itself an amazing adrenaline rush, it
combines with stunning aerial views of Cape Town, Hout Bay and
Cape Point on a 4-5 minute parachute ride back to earth.
In the Sand
Sandboarding is Cape Town's alternative to the Northern
countries snow glazed mountains. Sandboarding is not only for
the hardened extremists among us, it is relatively easy to learn
which ensures that you'll be flying down the dunes in no time. A
short drive from Cape Town takes you to some of the most
spectacular dune environments the cape has to offer. This
addictive adrenaline sport is taking the world by storm and Cape
Town is one of the best places to indulge your cravings.
Off-road Quad Biking adventures are the latest of Cape
Town's extreme crazes. This is by far the most exciting thing on
4 wheels. The trails twist and wind through sand and bush,
offering climbs, descents, technical sections and flat out
straights. Reaching speeds of up to 80 km per hour, find out
what your machine's got, or take it easy and enjoy the awesome
scenery.
In the Sea
You don't get more extreme than coming face to face with one of
the worlds most feared creatures. Great White Sharks are
prolific in the oceans around Cape Town. Dyer Island is possibly
the best place in the world to view these magnificent predators.
The island is a bird sanctuary and a breeding site for the
Jackass penguin. Adjoining it is a second smaller rocky island
called Geyser rock, which supports a large seal population.
Separating Geyser and Dyer is a channel aptly named "Shark
Alley", arguably THE prime spot in the world for encountering
the Great White shark. Shark cage diving is an extremely
popular adventure activity - you leave on a boat which will take
you to shark alley, it can then take up to an hour of chumming
before the first shark appears. Once the sharks have settled
down, the first group of cagers prepare to enter their cage
while the rest retreat to the back of the boat or viewing
platform to witness the spectacular proceedings, eagerly
awaiting their turn in the cage. The bait line is slowly drawn
towards the cage. As the bait line approaches so too does the
Great White. The cage experience has been described by some as
an emotional, heart-stopping and truly thrilling experience.
Cape Town - An Extreme City
Cape Town is and adventure tourist's paradise. Home to an
abundance of extreme activities it is a highly sought after
travel destination for those who live for natural highs. The
cosmopolitan city is also home to a fantastic array of cultural,
natural and historical highlights. From the vibrant restaurants
and the African markets to the shark cage diving and
paragliding; Cape Town offers something for every kind of
tourist.