Boost Buttons and Baboons: Exploring Cape Point by E-Bike
When I was invited to go e-biking through Cape Point Nature Reserve with Cape Point E-Bike Tours (a member of Cape Country Routes), it was a very easy decision. My first thought was, “How has nobody done that before?” The idea of experiencing this significant place with its dramatic cliffs, beautiful beaches, fynbos, wildlife and some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Cape Town from the saddle of an e-bike seemed like an excellent idea. The fact that I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in 11 years was a less important detail.
As I was also completely new to e-bikes, I wasn't entirely sure whether I was about to discover a brilliant new adventure activity or spend several hours wobbling around in a neon safety vest, slowing everyone down and trying not to crash-land into a protea shrub. Fortunately, it was very much the former.
If you're looking for things to do in Cape Town, a Cape Point E-Bike Tour deserves a spot on your list.
What Makes Cape Point so Special?
For context, in case you've never Googled "tip of Africa" at 2am: Cape Point is a massive 7,750-hectare nature reserve on the Cape Peninsula, known for its dramatic cliffs, beautiful beaches, incredible fynbos, lighthouses, World War II observation posts, shipwrecks and wildlife.
It’s part of the larger Cape Floral Kingdom, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because 1,100 native plant species grow here and nowhere else on Earth. It’s also one of the Cape Town Big6 (the six most popular Cape Town tourist attractions) along with the V&A Waterfront, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Groot Constantia.
I know what you’re thinking, “It sounds great but are there dassies?” Yes, there are, but no, I didn’t see any this time. Whales are also sometimes spotted in the surrounding ocean between June and October. But I didn’t see any of those either. What I did see was a baboon. I’ll come back to this later.
My Cape Point E-Bike Tour Experience
Where It All Begins: The Cape Point Farm Stall
Our adventure started at the Cape Point Farm Stall, which honestly seems less like a farm stall and more like an open-air but covered coffee shop, with free-range farm animals running around. A fence protects diners and their food from baboons. So it kind of feels like going to a zoo, but one where the humans are in a cage and the animals come to watch us during feeding time.
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| Early morning donkeys |
Learning to Ride a WOW E-Bike
After getting very distracted by the cuteness of a newborn donkey, we proceeded to the bike centre.
The experience started with a safety briefing and a lesson on how to ride these WOW-E Bikes if you’ve never ridden an e-bike before. (You do need to know how to ride a bicycle in the traditional sense of the word before going on this tour, just FYI.) We were also fitted with helmets and safety vests.
Pro tip: If you’re worried about aesthetics, plan your outfit accordingly. But honestly, who doesn’t look good in neon green?
I’m always up for any adventure but that doesn’t mean I don’t find them daunting. I had never ridden an e-bike before and it had been 11 years since I last rode a bicycle, so I was a bit nervous at first. Fortunately, riding a bicycle is just like riding a bicycle. And though I had to get used to the feeling of the motor pulling the bike more than I was propelling it with my pedalling, as soon as I had gotten used to the brakes, everything got a lot easier.
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| The part just before it got easier |
Neil, the owner of the company and our guide, explained the different settings ranging from Eco (gentle assistance for the proud) all the way up to Boost (maximum help for those being gentle with themselves). There was even a dedicated boost button for steep hills or moments of pure, unadulterated laziness.
Concerned about picking up too much speed or not feeling in control, I remember thinking that I wouldn’t make it past the second setting and I would never use the boost button. Then we rode out onto the road. The moment my tyres hit the asphalt outside the farm stall, long before we even reached the main gate of Cape Point Nature Reserve, I found myself in Boost mode, testing the limits of how fast this baby could go. I was about to discover that the feeling of the motor sweeping you up a hill with zero quad burn is pure magic!
My Cape Point E-Bike Tour Experience: The Cape Point Classic Tour
Apart from riding our bikes through some of the most scenic roads in the country, while having the wind in your face and the smell of fynbos in your nose, occasionally we stopped and explored on foot. So doing an e-bike tour doesn’t mean you’re chained to the bike the whole time.
In Cape Point, there are plenty of things worth stopping for:
Smitswinkel Viewpoint
Our first stop was at the beautiful Smitswinkel Viewpoint not far from the gate. The early morning sun was still low in the sky and it shimmered on the surface of the ocean in the distance. Neil gave us a bit of an introduction to the incredible species of fynbos around us, and told us about the land, its history (going all the way back to the Ice Age) and what makes this nature reserve so special (somewhat mentioned above).
Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre
We continued on to the Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre where we again dismounted and explored the fascinating exhibition on display there about the Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour. This world-class museum exhibit showcases the way of life of humans in Southern Africa between 120 000 and 50 000 years ago.
Wildlife Encounters
We stopped along the way to see some ostriches and some antelope of some kind, I’m pretty sure they were Eland. (As a certified city girl with the wildlife-identification skills of a confused tourist, don't quote me!) At one point, I also cycled right past a baboon. When I spotted him, I couldn’t help but smile. And then I remembered that that’s what you’re not supposed to do. Showing your teeth to a baboon can be interpreted as a threat, so fortunately, in this case, he didn’t seem to notice. (It seems to be a thing with me and all male creatures.)
Obviously, wildlife encounters can’t be guaranteed but I can’t imagine visiting the park and not seeing anything. And it’s good to have a guide who understands these animals and keeps everyone at a safe and respectful distance.
The Flying Dutchman Funicular and the Old Cape Point Lighthouse
Then we put the ‘fun’ in ‘funicular’ when we took the Flying Dutchman Funicular to the top, enjoyed some of the mesmerising lookout points (it’s impossible to get sick of these views) and climbed the stairs to the lighthouse. At this point, I really missed my e-bike’s boost button! But the views were worth it and this part of the tour is not mandatory.
The Cape of Good Hope / South-Western Point of Africa
We made one more stop at the most south-western point of Africa. Most people go there to have their picture taken with the sign. The best part was actually the ride along the coast. Pure magic - no boost button needed.
The highlight for other people
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| The highlight for us |
Buffels Beach
Normally the Cape Point Classic Tour includes a stop at Buffels Beach with an optional dip in the tidal pool but I was with a group of journalists and some members had time limitations so we didn’t make it that far. And now I have an excellent excuse to go back and do it again!
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Is an E-Bike a Good Way to Experience Cape Point?
To be honest, before the experience I found the idea a bit daunting. When I was a kid, I was always the smallest one in the class and having the shortest legs meant I was always slower. I would try as hard as I could to keep up with the other kids but never could and was bullied a bit. So sometimes when I’m invited to do physical activities with a group, I feel a bit of anxiety that I’m going to be the one that slows everyone down.
It turns out that e-biking is the perfect physical activity for groups with different fitness levels -you can cheat with the boost button when you’re tired, lazy, or just wanting to take it easy, but don’t have to use it if you want to challenge yourself and get some exercise. Which, at one stage, I actually found myself doing - weird!
The speed-to-effort ratio on these things is awesome! The bike also prevents you from picking up too much speed for the sake of safety.
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| Well over any e-bike apprehension |
The WOW E-Bikes used for the tours are actually assembled in Paternoster, where the company (also part of Cape Country Routes) offers their own e-bike tours along the beach and in the scenic Cape Columbine Nature Reserve: Top of my list of things to do when I return to that part of the West Coast.
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Why an E-Bike Is Better than a Tour Bus or a Car
Having experienced Cape Point in a car and having hiked different parts of it in the past, e-biking is the best of both worlds. Unlike experiencing it in a vehicle, e-biking is so much more immersive. You can feel the wind on your face (Cape Point is windy) and you can actually smell the fynbos (some of which, full disclosure, does not smell like a candle you would spend money on), but you can cover a lot more ground than you could on foot. And it produces no emissions!
If you’re visiting from overseas and you’re looking for a wildlife safari experience without journeying too far from Cape Town, Cape Point is the place to go. And since there are no large predators that would warrant you having to stay in a vehicle, why not take the opportunity to safari by bicycle?
Things I didn’t expect to love about my Cape Point E-Bike Tour:
Apart from experiencing and appreciating Cape Point in a whole new way, I also liked:
- Cape Point Farm stall - They have coffee to fuel you, lunch for when you have gotten back and you’ve worked up an appetite, a baby donkey (well, he may have grown by the time you get there), other farm animals running around, and a fake unicorn trophy on the wall. Incorporating unicorns into one’s interior (or exterior) decor demonstrates a level of taste that I appreciate.
- Our neon vests - Could we have taken them off when we weren’t on the bikes, like when we climbed the stairs all the way to the lighthouse for pictures? Yes, but would we? Definitely not! Did anyone confuse us car guards in the parking lot near the funicular? Possibly. Did anyone accidentally tip us? No. Rude!
- The boost button - Seriously, please can I have one for walking?
- Neil: Our guide and the owner of the company - Cape Point E-Bike Tours is part of Cape County Routes, which is a collection of hospitality and activity companies that are owner-run and managed. I feel that when your guide is as invested in a company as Neil is, they really go over and above to make sure you have a good experience. He’s an incredibly passionate guy who truly loves with nature, ecology, the health of humans, animals and the planet, and the fascinating place that is Cape Point Nature Reserve. That passion really comes through and is quite contagious. Together with the endorphins from a little bit of exercise and the fresh air, the whole experience leaves you on a natural high.
- Find out more or book your Cape Point E-Bike Tour here.
- And discover Cape Country Route’s other activities here.
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While You're Exploring the Peninsula:
- Go in Search of the SS Thomas T. Tucker Shipwreck at Cape Point
- Snorkel with an octopus in Simon's Town
- Buy rocks at the Simon's Town Scratch Patch
- Do the Simon's Town Ghost Walk
- Eat a scone at the Scone Shack
- Or just find some more funusual things to do in Cape Town here
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