Popular Public Parks in Cape Town

KEURBOOM PARK

A large park which merges with the rugby fields of Rondebosch Boys School and the cricket grounds and tennis courts of WPCC, Keurboom Park is a safe and clean natural space, with a strong focus on conservation of plants and animals. Popular with dog walkers, it is also very child-friendly, with a number of playgrounds and a small skateboarding area.

Loction: Squirrels way, Rondebosch, Cape Town
Time: Daily
Cost: Free

Tel: 021 683 7368 | 083 284 3388
Email: [email protected]
Website: Keurboom Park
Facebook: Keurboom Park

WYNBERG PARK

Wynberg Park is where the spring of the Krakeelwater River begins, hence the name of “Springfield” convent and school that is situated below the park.

The park is visited throughout the year for its conifer garden, and in summer boasts an attractive display of hydrangeas. Higher up, visitors are able to see vestiges of silvertrees, which were once so prevalent in the area. Ideal for walking dogs on leashes and enjoying picnics and braais.

The city’s Come and Play teams offer extreme sports demonstrations, games, stage activities and fun activities for smaller children. Summer concerts and fun days are held annually.

Venue: cnr Klaassens and Trovato Link Roads, Wynberg
Time: 7am – 6pm (daily)
Cost: Free

Tel: 021 444 8849 | 086 576 1243
Website: www.wynbergpark.gov.za
Facebook: Wynberg Park
Twitter: @wynberg_park

NANTES PARK

Nantes Park is a large public space ideal for picnics, leisurely walks, playing sport and skateboarding.

The Vygekraal River, that runs through the natural park, plays a role in adding to the character and charm of Nantes Park. It forms part of a broader network of river greenbelts that serves the Athlone, Kewtown, Vanguard Estate and Heideveld communities.

The skateboard and BMX area is popular with local youth, and Nantes Park is one of five sites at which the City Parks Department hosted tree planting ceremonies in December 2013, to honour the late Nelson Mandela. The tree species planted include olive, assegai and ficus, which symbolise Madiba’s qualities. The City maintains the park with help from the surrounding community. Both are committed to providing surrounding residents with a clean, safe and beautiful environment.

After much consultation with the community, the City Parks Department appointed an architect to compile a plan for the upgrade to Nantes Park. The upgraded park now includes an open-air amphitheatre, a pedestrian bridge, skateboard and BMX area, a tea room, two children’s play parks, an outdoor gym, and walkways.

Venue: Appledene Road, Bridgetown, Athlone
Time: Sunrise to sunset
Cost: Free

Tel: 021 637 8836
Website: Nantes Park

RONDEBOSCH COMMON

Rondebosch Common has a long history as an open space for public use.

The area supports a natural remnant of the critically endangered Cape Flats Sand fynbos, with patches of renosterveld, and it is also a seasonal wetland. Over 300 plant species have been verified on the site, of which nine appear in the Red Data List, two of them being such as Ixia monadelpha (EN) and Podalyria sericea (NT). Over 110 different bird species have also been recorded.

Rondebosch Common is very popular among local residents, who can be seen jogging, walking their dogs, exercising and enjoying the open space every day.

Venue: cnr Campground Rd & Sandown Rds, Rondebosch, Cape Town
Time: 8am to 6pm (daily)
Cost: Free

Website: Rondebosch Common
Facebook: Rondebosch Common

ARDERNE GARDENS

The garden has the most diverse and valuable collections of exotic trees in South Africa. It includes one of the largest trees in South Africa; the vast Moreton Bay Fig and quite possibly the largest Aleppo Pine in the world. These trees, along with four others, were proudly designated Champion Trees in 2008 and the Arderne Gardens was declared a South African Provincial Heritage Site.

Venue: 222 Main Rd, Claremont
Time: 8am – 6pm
Cost: Free

Tel: 084 417 4892
Website: The Arderne Gardens
Facebook: Arderne Gardens

GREEN POINT PARK

For a fun day out, school tours, family picnics, children’s birthday parties, outdoor exercise, romantic walks and healthy activities; this is the natural place to get some fresh air and be social. This carefully landscaped urban park is composed of a rich variety of flora indigenous to the Cape, and offers the only Biodiversity Showcase Garden of its kind, featuring 25 000 indigenous plants, trees, shrubs, bulbs and ground covers consisting of 300 different plant species.

Tea house, two playparks – one for toddlers and one for older children, a meditation labyrinth, trees, picnic areas, ponds, streams and more.

Venue: 1 Fritz Sonnenberg Rd, Green Point
Time: 7am – 7pm (daily)
Cost: Free

Website: Green Point Park
Facebook: Green Point Park

THE COMPANY’S GARDEN

What was once a refreshment station to supply fresh produce for European sailors is now one of its most visited public parks, set picturesquely against the backdrop of Table Mountain. It is home to some of South Africa’s most historic and important institutions, including South African Parliament, Iziko South African Museum & Planetarium, the National Gallery, the Great Synagogue and St George’s Cathedral.

To learn more, book a tour with a guide such as author Suzie Joubert who will open your eyes to features and facts you never knew – the Company’s Garden’s water channels, the zoo, the herbs, and what became of the slaves who planted the seed of the City we now know as Cape Town.

Location: 19 Queen Victoria Street

Times: 7am – 6pm

Website: The Company’s Garden

Tel: 021 444 1901

Email: [email protected]