Best Photography Spots in Cape Town: A Local’s Guide
Cape Town is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I have lived here all my life, photographed thousands of corners and angles, and it never gets old. I never get bored. You have seen it on social media. It really is that beautiful. No image can do it justice.
Because I have lived here all my life, I like exploring new and different places around Cape Town. And there are many. I like quieter places which are less busy and touristy. Those become my hidden gems.
This is my honest guide to the spots I keep going back to. Some are the ones everyone knows. Most are not.
The spots everyone knows
Table Mountain
The obvious one. It would be wrong not to start here. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city, and no matter how many times you look up at it, it still stops you.
Most people photograph it from Bloubergstrand, across the bay. That classic shot with the mountain reflected in the water. It works at sunrise, sunset, windy day. It always looks good. If you go to Blouberg, walk past the main beach towards the rocky section on the left. Fewer people, better foreground.
But the real experience is hiking up. Not the cable car. The gorge. Platteklip Gorge is steep and your legs will burn the whole way up. But it is worth every step. You start in the sun, and the bushes are a bit more dense. It thins out the higher you climb. You will eventually be in the shade of the mountain gorge. The higher you climb the farther you see. At times it might feel like you can see the entirety of South Africa stretched out before you.
The light up there in the early morning is something else. Soft and golden, before the wind picks up. I have been up more times than I can count and I still find new angles.
Bo-Kaap
The colourful houses. Pink, turquoise, yellow, lime green, all next to each other on a steep cobbled street. You have probably seen these photos everywhere.
Go early in the morning. By midday it gets busy with tour groups and you will be fighting for a clean shot. The best streets are Wale Street and Chiappini Street. Walk up the hill, not down. The houses look better when you are looking up at them with the mountain behind.
One thing most people miss: the side streets. Everyone crowds onto the same two blocks, but if you walk a few streets over, you find quieter corners with just as much colour and no one in your frame. That is where the real photos are. A single door in deep shade with a wall of bright turquoise catching the morning sun. A cat on a windowsill. The mountain framed between two rooftops.
Chapman’s Peak Drive
Between Hout Bay and Noordhoek. Cliff on one side, ocean on the other. The golden hour light on the rock face is something else.
There are a few official viewpoints along the drive where you can pull over. The first one after the Hout Bay side is the most popular, but the views improve as you go further. The rock face catches the late afternoon sun beautifully. The layers of sandstone glow gold and orange, and the ocean below turns deep blue. It is one of those drives where you have to stop yourself from pulling over every two minutes.
If you bring a longer lens, something in the 70-135mm range, you can compress the cliff layers and they look dramatic. But even with a phone you will be able to get stunning shots.
Boulders Beach
Penguins on a beach with granite boulders and clear water. It is a special place. The penguins are used to people, so they go about their business while you photograph them.
Just be patient. They do their own thing. Wait for them to interact with each other, or catch one standing on top of a boulder with the ocean behind it. The mid-morning light is best here, when the sun gets into the beach between the boulders. Avoid midday, the shadows are harsh and everything flattens out.
There is something about watching these little creatures waddle around on a beach that looks like it belongs in the Caribbean. It never feels real, even after all the times I have been there.
The ones I keep going back to
These are still well-known spots, but they are the ones I actually return to. Quieter than the big tourist spots, and the light is just as good. Sometimes better.
The coast between Camps Bay and Llandudno
If you drive past Camps Bay towards Llandudno, there are a few spots where you can pull over. A bit of parking. Nothing fancy. You have the ocean right in front of you and the Twelve Apostles behind you.
It is beautiful in the morning and at sunset. I have been there many times and I have never seen it crowded. You can just stop, walk around, and take your time with it. There is something about having a place to yourself that changes how you see it. You slow down. You notice the way the light moves across the rock face. You hear the waves properly because there is no one else talking.
At sunset the Twelve Apostles catch the last light and the ocean goes orange. The whole scene turns warm and quiet and it feels like you are the only person in the city.
The Pipe Track
This is one of my favourite walks and it never gets old.
It is a trail that runs along the side of Table Mountain. Starts near Kloof Nek. Very easy to walk, mostly flat. If you go early you will be in the shade of the mountain. On one side you have Table Mountain right there, close enough to see the texture of the rock. On the other side, the ocean.
I usually start with a wide shot to get a sense of the light and the colour. Then I look around for something to shoot through. A bush, some wild grass growing on the side of the trail. Something to add to the foreground or to frame the shot. That process is what makes me appreciate the space even more. You are not just walking. You are looking. And when you are looking that carefully, you see things you would never notice otherwise.
The morning light on this trail is soft and even because it faces west. You avoid the wind too, which in Cape Town is half the battle.
Signal Hill and Lion’s Head
Lion’s Head is the popular one. The hike takes about an hour and a half, and the views from the top are 360 degrees. City on one side, ocean on the other, Table Mountain right next to you. It is a proper hike with chains and ladders near the top, and the reward is one of the best views in the country.
If you go for sunrise, and you do not mind hiking in the dark, it is worth it. Watching the sun come up from that height, with the city still quiet below you, is one of those experiences that stays with you.
Signal Hill is different. You can drive right to the top. No hiking required. The sunset views over the Atlantic are some of the best in the city, and you get Robben Island in the distance. It gets busy in summer, so go early enough to find a spot. But even when it is busy, you can walk a few hundred metres from the parking area and find your own space.
Kirstenbosch
The botanical gardens on the eastern slope of Table Mountain. Most people know it as a garden, but it is a great photography spot. The Boomslang Tree Canopy Walkway gives you an elevated view over the gardens and the mountains. It curves through the treetops and on a misty morning it feels like you are walking through the clouds.
Walk past the main areas into the wilder sections at the back. The indigenous forest is dense, and the light filtering through the trees creates beautiful patterns. Light filtering through onto ferns, mossy rocks, the sound of water somewhere you cannot see. If you like close-up nature photography, this is the place. But even for landscapes, the views back towards the mountain from inside the garden are stunning.
Morning is best. The garden faces east, so the early sun is warm and directional. Everything glows.
Muizenberg
The colourful beach huts. You have probably seen photos of them. They are smaller than they look in photos, which is actually useful because you can fit the whole row in one frame.
But the real reason to go to Muizenberg is the light. The beach faces east, so sunrise is spectacular. The wet sand reflects the colours of the sky and the huts. The whole scene doubles. Get there early, before the surfers set up their gear in front of the huts.
I have shot Muizenberg many times and it is different every single time. The clouds, the tide, the colours in the sky. Some mornings it is pink and gold. Some mornings it is moody grey with just a strip of orange on the horizon. You never know what you are going to get, and that is what makes it exciting.
Franschhoek
A bit further away, about an hour outside Cape Town. The town itself has beautiful architecture, vineyards, oak-lined streets. Worth a few photos on its own.
But if you want something more, try the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve. It is a bit of a hike. Maybe 45 to 60 minutes. But once you are on the other side, I promise you, it is worth it. The view will take your breath away. Rolling vineyards, mountain peaks, the valley stretching out in every direction. It is one of those places where you just stand there for a while and take it in before you even think about pulling out your camera.
The light in the valley is special. Morning or late afternoon, the mountains throw long shadows across the vineyards and everything turns golden. The Winelands have a different quality of light to the coast. Softer, warmer, more still. When the southeaster is blowing in Cape Town, Franschhoek is usually calm.
Clarens Drive and Kogelbaai
This is one of those places that most tourists never find. Past Gordon’s Bay, along the coast towards Kleinmond. It is a bit further from Cape Town, maybe 45 minutes to an hour, but the drive itself is gorgeous. The road hugs the coastline with mountains rising on one side and the ocean opening up on the other.
Clarens Drive is a hidden gem. The mountain range along this stretch has beautiful fynbos and wildflowers, especially in spring when the sun catches them. There is a lot of space to park your car and just walk around. And because it is further from the city, it is rarely busy. You might see a few other cars, but nothing like the crowds at Camps Bay or Chapman’s Peak.
Kogelbaai itself is wild and beautiful. Rocky coastline, powerful waves, the kind of raw landscape that makes you feel small. The sunsets from here are something else. The whole coastline lights up in gold and orange, and the mountains behind you turn purple in the fading light. I love going there in the late afternoon and just staying until the sun goes down.
It is one of my favourite drives in the Western Cape. The kind of place where you roll the windows down and take your time.
A few things I have learned
Cape Town faces west on the Atlantic side. This means the sunset light is almost always good along the coast. If you are planning an afternoon shoot, stick to the western side. For sunrise, head east. Muizenberg, Kirstenbosch, the Winelands.
Go early. Almost every spot on this list is better in the morning. Softer light, fewer people, more space to move around and find your angle.
The weather changes fast here. Bring layers. And watch the wind. The southeaster can blow hard in summer, especially on the mountain and along the coast. If it is windy, head for the Winelands instead.
Shoot through things. This is something I do constantly. Wild grass, fynbos, a fence, a branch. It gives the photo depth and makes it feel like you are there, not just looking at a postcard. Find something in the foreground and let the landscape sit behind it.
Do not rush. The best photos I have taken in Cape Town were not planned. I was just walking, I saw the light do something interesting, and I stopped. That is the whole point. Bring your camera, go somewhere, and pay attention.
I have been taking photos in Cape Town for years and I still find new spots. That is the thing about this place. You think you have seen it all, and then the light changes and everything looks different.
Just go. Bring your camera.
