Constantia Nek
Constantia Nek is a low pass that crosses Table Mountain from Constantia to Hout Bay. It is one of the passes that connects Hout Bay to the city. Constantia Nek was also known as Cloof Pass. The road is busy as it is a single carriageway, even though it is a major thoroughfare.
A bit of history
When a rich source of timber was discovered on the slopes of the back end of Table Mountain, the area was called Hout Bay, meaning ‘Wood Bay’. Transporting wood out of the area meant building a road big enough for horse-drawn carts. Construction of this dirt road began in 1666. Horse-drawn carriages had to climb to the summit of Constantia Nek, where a toll station and lay-by were used by workers moving logs from the Hout Bay plantations to the Castle of Good Hope in the city centre.
Remains of the Conway Redoubt can be seen behind the restaurant. It was built during the French military occupation of the Cape. The occupation was in support of the Dutch colonists. With the arrival of the French troops, under Colonel Conway, on 3 July 1781, the so-called ‘French Period’ began. The French occupation saw great prosperity in the Cape. House property, slaves and horse values rose 50-100%. The demand for produce grew so much that the Company had to fix maximum prices to protect itself.
Back in the day, the journey from Hout Bay to Cape Town that troops took would be a six to seven-hour march. The road up to the Nek was a pleasant walk. Le Vaillant used to take on Sundays. He was furious when the road was badly ripped up. It was thought that the British were about to attack the Cape. To prevent the road from being used by the British, large holes were dug to prevent wagons and artillery from being transported over the Nek.
The road slopes gently from connecting the back side of Table Mountain with the Vlakkenberg and Constantiaberg.
At the summit of the Nek is a large car park on one side of the road. From here, one can walk between Constantia Nek and Kirstenbosch. Also at the summit are a couple of restaurants. The original building there was the oldest restaurant in Cape Town.
Hike to irstenbosch
Take a relatively easy 6km walk on a dirt path along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain that takes about 2.5 hours. It is mostly flat with a few inclines in the beginning and downhill at the end. You will pass Cecelia forest and cross a few streams with wooden bridges
The walk starts on a jeep track, then joins the Contour Path after about half an hour into the walk (Continue on the Contour Path until you reach the sign for Skeleton Gorge. Head down along Smuts Track to get to Kirstenbosch. Dogs on leashes allowed. However, they are not allowed in Kirstenbosch gardens, so you can continue along the Contour Path to Newlands Forest
