3 Best Hotels in Cape Peninsula, South Africa

Nature lovers will rejoice when they set eyes on these wooden cabins and cottages that provide the ultimate sense of indoor-outdoor living while affording gorgeous views over Scarborough and out to sea. As the name implies, you are steeped in nature, between tangled branches and tall trees towering overhead, and the spaces themselves are wonderfully in keeping with the spirit of the enfolding surrounds. The cabins have everything you need (kitchen, lounging areas, deck spaces from which to soak up the views, pretty bedrooms), but not so much that you're pulled out of the fantasy of being in a verdant wonderland surrounded by the very thing you ultimately came to the peninsula to experience: nature.

On Jubilee Square, part of the Simon's Town Waterfront, this centrally located hotel has wonderful views over the bay, the harbor, and the yacht club. Rooms are light and airy, combining lime-washed wood with white walls, touches of silver and gray, and a beachy-clean atmosphere (some rooms are carpeted), though the bathrooms are small; there are a few guest rooms that have mountain views instead of water views.

This secluded and charming resort on the peninsula is great for families, as well as popular for small conferences and events. Thatched-roof log cottages sit in an indigenous milkwood forest overlooking a nature reserve and the white sands of Noordhoek Beach. Options include suites or self-catering cottages with either two or three bedrooms, and fully equipped kitchens. Most cottages also have large balconies, many with sea views. All accommodations share a rustic log-cabin aesthetic and are attractive and tidy with cottage-style furniture. Some have fireplaces and pretty Victorian bathrooms. An on-site restaurant serves three meals a day and is popular with locals for Sunday lunch. Children's programs for all ages can be arranged on request.