Top reasons to visit Cape Town in Spring
When
September – October
Temperatures
17°C – 29°C (63°F – 84°F)
Rainfall
5 – 8 days per month
Hours of daylight
12 – 13
There is no season quite like spring season in Cape Town! Known as one of the Mother City’s best kept secrets, the city comes alive as soon as the vibrant spring season arrives. The winter cold starts to wither away, the sun comes out to play and the Cape wildflowers bloom into a glorious celebration of colour. It is bold, blissful, and bursting with beauty, adventure and natural landscapes just waiting to be explored – How can you not want to discover and experience everything it has to offer?
Here are some of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in spring and why you’ll fall head-over-heels in love with the Mother City’s spring season magic, just like we have!
SPRING SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Great time for whale-watching & marine life
Hiking, outdoor exploring & adventuring
Cape wildflowers
Lovely mild Mediterranean spring climate
Shoulder season | Smaller crowds & great deals
SPRING SEASON IS FLOWER SEASON
In Cape Town, spring season is flower season! The Mother City’s vibrant flower season is undoubtedly one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in spring. Every spring, from September to October, Cape Town comes to life as the Cape wildflowers cover the Western Cape landscapes in a glorious celebration of color. The wild unapologetic natural beauty of the Mother City’s flower season has people travelling from all around the world to witness Cape Town in full bloom. If you’ve not experienced Cape Town’s glorious spring flower season yet, you absolutely must add it to your bucket-list right away!
**Tip: Best places in the Western Cape to see the Cape wildflowers in full bloom this spring: The West Coast National Park; Ramskop Nature Reserve; Renosterveld Reserve; Citrusdal, Namaqualand National Park; Tienie Versfeld Wildflower Reserve; Columbine Nature Reserve; Harold Porter Botanical Gardens; Fernkloof Nature Reserve; Hopefield, Darling; the Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens; Nieuwoudtville Hantam National Botanical Garden and the renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
MILD MEDITERRANEAN SPRING CLIMATE
One of the Mother City’s main allures is her beautiful year-round mild Mediterranean climate, and this certainly applies to her stunning spring season too. Besides the glorious Cape wildflowers, scenic surroundings and endless spring shenanigans, Cape Town’s blissful spring season climate is one of the top reasons why spring is considered one of the Mother City’s best kept secrets.
Some of the best days happen during Cape Town’s spring season – windless, cloudless, and mild! The winter cold withers away, the sun comes out to play and the rainy days are few and far between. The days also become longer with lovely day-time temperatures averaging anywhere between 15°C – 29°C. This makes it perfect for hiking, outdoor exploring, adventuring and even enjoying a laid-back beach day or beautiful evening sunset beach stroll.
HIKING, ADVENTURING & OUTDOOR EXPLORING
The lovely mild weather, lush green surroundings, stunning floral landscapes and vibrant spring energy that fills the air, makes spring season in Cape Town the perfect time to step outside, embark on an epic adventure, and tick a thrilling experience off your bucket-list. From hiking, paragliding, scuba diving, and Sea Point Promenade cycling to kloofing, skydiving, kayaking with African Penguins and beach side strolling, the Mother City transforms into the ultimate outdoor adventure escape.
Spring in the Mother City also marks the time of year when all the Cape fauna and flora are in full bloom and the Western Cape landscapes transform into a lush green paradise – There truly is no better time to explore all of Cape Town’s natural surroundings!
**Tip: Here are a few of Cape Town’s natural gems that should be on your spring bucket-list: Table Mountain National Park; Table Mountain; Cape Point; Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; the Cederberg Wilderness; Kogelberg Nature Reserve; Silvermine Nature Reserve & West Coast National Park.
WHALE & MARINE LIFE SIGHTINGS
Cape Town is not only one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world, it boasts a thriving marine life scene. Home to the renowned Marine Big 5, African Penguins, Dolphins, Southern Right Whales, Mola-Mola Sunfish, Cape Fur Seal and so much more, seeing these magnificent ocean beings in their natural habitat should undoubtedly be on everyone’s Cape Town bucket-list.
By far one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in spring is the spectacular Southern Right Whale sightings visitors will be able to enjoy. Cape Town’s prime whale-watching season typically peaks between August and October, with peak calving season normally taking place in August and September. Visitors are therefore in for a real treat!
**Tip: Best places to see Southern Right Whales in the Western Cape:
- False Bay Coastline: A great place to enjoy incredible whale sightings is along the vibrant False Bay coastline, with Simonstown being one of Cape Town’s best whale watching hubs. Opt for the higher vantage points along the False Bay coastline such as Cape Point, Boyes Drive between St James and Kalk Bay, and Clarence Drive between Gordon’s Bay and Rooi Els.
- Hermanus: A visit to the whale capital of the world, Hermanus, should definitely be on your Cape Town bucket-list if you’re in search of some spectacular Southern Right Whale sightings. Not only will visitors be able to enjoy amazing land-based viewing opportunities, with the whales coming within metres of the shoreline at times, there are also a variety of boat-based whale watching adventures available if you’re looking for something a little more thrilling.
- Cape Agulhas: Another top whale watching spot in the Western Cape is the Cape Agulhas. Up to 50 pairs of southern right cows and calves have been known to frolic in the ocean waters near the southernmost tip of Africa.
In addition to enjoying incredible Southern Right Whale sightings, a visit to the African Penguin viewing site at Boulders Beach and Stony Point is absolutely worth a visit.
Besides seeing some of Cape Town’s favourite ocean locals from a far, you can also opt to enjoy other thrilling adventures like snorkelling with Cape Fur Seals, kayaking with African Penguins, shark cage diving alongside Great White Sharks and scuba diving.
SHOULDER SEASON IN CAPE TOWN
Spring, much like autumn, is known as one of the Mother City’s shoulder seasons – It’s not quite the low season, nor is it the hustling and bustling peak season. While you may not be able to take full advantage of Cape Town’s wild winter off-season special offers and crazy deals and discounts, prices are still far lower and way more affordable than during Cape Town’s peak season. This means you will still be able to snag a few spectacular spring specials and epic bucket-list worthy deals – Making for an unforgettable spring holiday in the Mother City.
As it’s the Mother City’s shoulder season, an added bonus is that you’ll miss all the large crowds that come along with Cape Town’s peak summer season. This gives locals, visitors, and keen travellers the super cool opportunity to explore all of Cape Town’s most renowned and sought-after landmarks, attractions, and natural wonders without the large crowds, long queues, and crazy traffic – how spectacular is that?
