Cape Attractions: Chapmans Peak
Chapmans Peak is probably more famous for its coastal road, known as Chapmans Peak Drive, which hugs the mountain from Hout Bay to Noordhoek, affording breathtaking views across the bay to the suburb of Hout Bay and beyond.
Chapmans Peak, the mountain, is a favourite amongst hikers to climb as it is a brisk, energetic walk to the peak which then has magnificent 360 degree views of the entire Cape Peninsula.
Chapmans Peak Highlights:
• Breathtaking scenery and vistas
• Spectacular coastal road
• Superb mountain hikes
• Alternative route from Hout Bay to Noordhoek
The historical Chapmans Peak Drive was built between 1915-1922. This road is carved out of the side of the mountain providing an alternative route between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, offering one of the most spectacular sights in South Africa. Perched on a rock in the bay near the Hout Bay end of the drive is a bronze leopard. It has been sitting there since 1963 and is a reminder of the wildlife that once roamed the area’s forests.
Due to many dangerous rock falls, the road was closed in September 1999. A massive project was launched to save the famous road, and millions of rands were spent on getting the road safe again. It was recently re-opened in December 2003 as a toll road, in time for the famous cycle tour - the largest in the world - that traverses the Cape Peninsula annually.
