Thursday, 6 October, 2025 / Edition 83

This week I’m once again teaming up with my niece, travel guru Holly East. Holly specializes in international travel with young children. She’s a teacher, former professional soccer player, mother of three, and ex-pat now living in Malaysia. You can follow her on Instagram @energeticeasts.

With Holly’s guidance, we’ll journey to Cape Town, South Africa, to see a landscape as diverse as it is dramatic—from golden beaches to rugged peaks. With its Mediterranean climate and easy coastal vibe, it may feel similar to San Diego, but the geology tells a much older story. Let’s go. 😎

Sharon Lyon

Editor, GeoLifestyle

Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Table Mountain; Courtesy of Holly East

Named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, Table Mountain is a playground for hikers and photographers.

Area geology: Towering over the city, Table Mountain’s flat-topped summit is composed of the hard, quartzitic Peninsula Formation Sandstone (informally the Table Mountain Sandstone) with visible layers that record ancient rivers and shifting continents.

• Deposited during the Cambrian–Ordovician periods, the sedimentary rocks rest on the Precambrian Cape Granite.

• Uplift began around 280 million years ago, with the hard granite core resisting folding. Tectonism, combined with weathering and erosion, gives Table Mountain its distinctive shape. 

Biodiversity: This plateau is also home to more than 1,500 plant species. Many are not found anywhere else on Earth and thrive in the mountain’s unique fynbos ecosystem, a shrubland vegetation that is specially adapted to the cape’s climate.

Hiking: You can hike the Twelve Apostles Trail but start early if you plan to descend via cable car. 

Family friendly trip tips:

• Arrive and take the cable car up🚠

• Get the fast pass. It saved us a 2.5-hour wait.

• There’s free face painting at the entrance for kids.

• Bring water, hats, and sunscreen. There’s no shade at the top!

• Ramps are available but go stroller-free if you can.

At the top: From the summit of Table Mountain, you can wander along more than three kilometers of walking paths that loop around the top. Each path offers a different vantage point of Cape Town and its surrounding coastline.

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Cape Point and Other Cape Town Highlights

Cape Point; Courtesy of Holly East

Near the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point is famed as the spot where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.

• The official meeting point is 150 kilometers east at Cape Agulhas, but turbulent currents and swirling blue-green waters often make the illusion feel real here.

Area geology: Cape Point’s cliffs are composed of the same Table Mountain Sandstone, shaped by relentless Atlantic swells into sheer drop-offs and jagged promontories.

Do not miss: The Flying Dutchman Funicular ride to the old lighthouse is a must-see for its panoramic views. There are also food and drinks at the summit.

Here are some of Holly’s additional recommendations, all family friendly:

For beach time and animals:

• You can swim with African penguins at Boulders Beach.🐧

• Spend a few hours at Hout Bay to see the seals. 🦭

• Block off an afternoon to visit Clifton 4th Beach for a relaxed, family-friendly vibe.

• Visit Camps Bay Beach for sun, surf, and mountain views.🏄‍♂

Other outdoor activities:

• Stroll through Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. 🥀

• Explore Simon’s Town, a historic harbor town.

  • Start with breakfast at Fran's Place!

  • Then wander down St. George’s Street for local finds.

Last note on getting the wiggles out: You can swing by Be.Up Park for an indoor play space for kids if the weather isn’t cooperating with you 🛝

Markets and culinary stops:

• Grab some fresh produce and baked goods at Oranjezicht City Farm Market.

• Wander through food stalls and peruse local crafts at the Old Biscuit Mill. There is also a market here on Saturdays called Neighbourgoods Market.

• Stop at V and A Waterfront for dining, shopping, and live music.

  • Be sure to grab a bite at Time Out Market while you’re here!

  • Sample some Belgian classics (Hello, waffles, fresh tuna, and steak!) at Den Anker.

  • Then, walk through the Watershed for South African crafts.

• Visit Constantia Valley, the oldest winemaking region in the southern hemisphere, to sample all the wine 🍷

• Grab sundown dinner at The Bungalow for seaside dining.

More must-order eats:

• Wraps and smoothies at Kauai

• Pizza from Col Cacchio, perfect for a beach picnic 🍕

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Pilanesberg National Park Safari

Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park; giraffes eat bones for the calcium; Courtesy of Holly East

On a Pilanesberg National Park safari, you can spot the “Big 5”: lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and Cape Buffalo.

• You can also encounter giraffes, cheetahs, wildebeest, hyenas, and various types of antelope.

• More than 300 species of birds are recorded in the park.

• A three-hour drive northwest of Johannesburg, the park is not only rich in magnificent wildlife, but also in geological history.

Learn more about Safari options here.

Area geology: Pilanesberg sits within the eroded remains of an ancient volcanic crater formed more than 1.2 billion years ago.

• After violent eruptions, the center collapsed, forcing magma into concentric cracks. 

• The magma cooled to form an alkaline ring dike complex. Each ring is composed of a different rock type due to magma composition and rate of cooling. 

• The mineral-rich volcanic soils help support the incredible biodiversity found here. It is a place where geology and ecology are intertwined in every view.

The bottom line: Whether you are standing atop a 600-million-year-old sandstone giant or driving through the remnants of a prehistoric volcano, South Africa offers the rare chance to explore landscapes where deep time and living nature meet. For geologists, it is a living classroom, an opportunity to see Earth’s history written in stone while witnessing the biodiversity it still sustains today.

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✉️ To get in touch with Sharon, send an email to editorial@aapg.org.