Directly in the heart of the City Bowl in Cape Town is the nice De Waal Park, which was Cape Town’s first and largest public park, after the Company’s Gardens, when it was opened in 1895.
Besides the popular free summer Sunday concerts, here you will find families and friends with their picnic baskets, joggers that get together to stretch their legs through the park and kids playing on the jungle gyms, swings and roundabouts.
The park is also very popular with dog owners who walk and play with their dogs on the grass and tennis players who get advantage of the two tennis courts at the corner of the park.
The De Waal park is a peaceful paradise in the bustling city life. The green grass and huge variety of trees make it a fantastic spot especially in summer. The park is 12 hectares big and was named in honor of former Cape Town major Christian De Waal.
Trees at De Waal Park
The park contains almost 150 species of trees (in 2017). You can see the full tree list here.
Victorian Fountain
In the middle of the De Waal Park is a huge Victorian Fountain that was installed there in 1898.
Edwardian Bandstand
The bandstand was moved to De Waal Park in 1905 after it was used for the performances of military bands in an Industrial Exhibition in Green Point.
1. Free Summer Concerts
During summer, some Sundays there are free live concerts at the De Waal Park. They have the intention to bring people of all neighborhoods and ways of life together to enjoy music.
You can check the official website to know when exactly is the next concert going to happen and which are the artists performing during the month. The concerts have a lineup of renowned South African Musicians.
So pack your picnic basket and a blanket to have an amazing Sunday afternoon. The concerts start at 15:00 and end at 18:00 hrs. But you are advised to come earlier to safe a place with a good view because it can get very crowded!
For more information, check the official De Waal Park concerts page.
2. Tennis courts
There are four tennis courts belonging to the Gardens Tennis Club in the South West corner.
3. Picnic
Prepare your favorite food and drinks and bring them to have a nice afternoon at the park.
Also, on Sundays there are several food stall with hot dogs, fried chips, soda, ice cream, coffee and a lot of more delicious food.
4. Kid’s Area
As an adult or as a kid you can enjoy the nice atmosphere around the kid’s area. Kids love the large play area with swings, slides and jungle gym.
5. Dogs
This park is perfect for dog lovers, you can see small, big, flurry doggies running and playing around the park.
Location
The park is located in the heart of the City Bowl, in Cape Town’s district Gardens.
How to get there?
- By bus: You can take the bus 101 and go down in “Government Ave”, it will take you around 5 minutes. From there you will have to walk 650 meters to get to the park.
- By UBER/Taxify: Taking an UBER from the City Center will take you about 7 minutes and cost around $25 ZAR = $2 USD.
- By car: It will take around 7 minutes to get there from the City Centre.
Opening hours and entry fee
Opening hours:
- September to March: 6:30 till 20:00 hrs.
- April to August: 7:00 till 18:00 hrs.
Entry fee:
The entry for the park is free but donations to the association ‘Friends of De Waal Park’ are welcome.
Are you interested in traveling around the world? In the Travel Section you can find detailed travel guides for different cities, touristic activities, recommendations, tips, and much more!
Did you like this post? Pin it! <3
Summer is a great time to indulge yourself in outdoor activities. Everything sounds so fun!
I love these kinds of activities! Spring-summer is such a good time to be out and about. BTW, loooved your outfit!
– http://www.allshethings.com
I have always wanted to go to Cape Town! Looks so fun to attend- wish I could have gone to those free concerts and festivals!
Whoa! This is in South Africa? I really need to do some more reseach. I had no idea! I love how dog friendly the park is and thoes tennis courts look so new and clean. Where I am, the tennis courts and old and we get evil glares when we bring our dogs!