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 under the auspices of Table Mountain National Park.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Parts of Table Mountain reopened in August.

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.

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.

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

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