A guide to Cape Town
Location
Cape Town is the Mother City, South Africa’s oldest city, and one of the world’s most beautiful. Situated at the south-western tip of South Africa and the African continent, it’s the city of Table Mountain, of Robben Island, of the beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens, and the spectacular Cape Point... But aside from its natural assets, it’s home to colourful characters from a cross-section of cultures and it has a fascinating history.
A proud host city for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, Cape Town is about 1 400km (870mi) from Johannesburg by road and 1 600km (994mi) from Durban (both about a two-hour flight away).
Key statistics
An Adderley Street flower seller
With a footprint of 2 461 square kilometres (1 529 square miles) and a population of 3.5-million people, Cape Town is ready to welcome and play host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
Cape Town is historically a mingling place for cultures. The Portuguese caravels of Bartholomeu Dias took anchor off its shores in the late 15th century, and it was in 1652 that the Dutch started the first European settlement in Southern Africa here, in the lands of the indigenous Khoi people who called Table Mountain “Hoerikwaggo” (“the mountain of the sea”).
The Dutch cared so much about the Cape because of its strategic positioning – anyone at the time who wanted to sail to India and the East for trade had to round the “Cape of Good Hope” or the perilous “Cape of Storms” as it has also been known. So over time the supply station at the tip of Africa became an important military base, which the British fought for and won twice, occupying it from 1795 to 1803, and again from 1806 until South African Union in 1910.
Today, Cape Town can credit much of its charming mix of culture, language and industry to its rich history. But this legacy is also one of exploitation and oppression, including a time when slavery prevailed.
Modern Cape Town is a city of contrasts: one that boasts a thriving creative economy, premier tourist destination status and incredible natural beauty, juxtaposed with social problems and poverty that are directly related to our colourful past and troubled history.
On one hand, it is the city of Robben Island, the notorious island prison where those who fought against apartheid, most famously Nelson Mandela, were jailed. On the other, it is the city in which Mandela was reunited with the world, after he walked out of the Victor Verster prison on February 11, 1990. The moment when he punched the air in a freedom salute has become a symbol of freedom and courage the world over.
When walking the streets of Cape Town and meeting its people, you will fall in love with a city of hope, creative freedom and incredible spirit.
The majority (41,4%) of Capetonians speak Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch, as their home language. English (27,9%) and isiXhosa (28,7%) are the other two main home languages of residents.
The city has a well-diversified economy but recently there has been a shift towards the service sectors, with growth in transport and communications, wholesale and retail trade, and finance and business services. Tourism in Cape Town is one of the fastest-growing industries, and contributes significantly to the gross domestic product of the region and South Africa.
City’s defining features
The beautiful beach huts at St James
Cape Town is set in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. It is dominated by the mood-setting Table Mountain, which cradles the busy commercial hub of the city between itself and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a key tourist destination because of diverse scenery that includes beaches, forests, mountains and wildlife, but at the same time offers the international visitor world-class service in some of the best hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions and shopping malls in the world.
The city is known for its good weather and outdoor lifestyle, where visitors can enjoy a range of activities, from skydiving off Lion’s Head right onto the world-renowned Camps Bay beach, to sitting at one of the many outdoor cafés enjoying the mix of local flavours and people. There are fun activities for the whole family, romantic destinations for couples, and an exciting nightlife for all ages.
City attractions
The Table Mountain Cableway
A national park within city limits. Two World Heritage Sites. Enough said. Cape Town has one of the widest ranges of attractions in the world. This includes a diverse mix of cultural and heritage sites, outdoor and adventure activities, health and wellness options, entertainment, nature and environment, and wining and dining.
Once “home” to South Africa’s most famous political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, the Robben Island World Heritage Site is one of South Africa’s most visited tourist attractions. Do not leave Cape Town without catching the ferry to the island and booking the tour – it is likely to be one of the highlights of your trip. Robben Island also has an interesting mix of flora and fauna and Murray Bay, Robben Island’s small harbour, is home to 140 000 African penguins.
Take a 10-minute cable car ride and enjoy spectacular 360-degree views of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain, the city’s most famous icon. Table Mountain is known for its rich biodiversity and is home to about 2 000 species of plants (more than the number found throughout the entire British Isles), most of them fynbos, which forms one of the world’s six plant kingdoms. The cableway is situated within the Table Mountain National Park.
Kirstenbosch Gardens
Kirstenbosch is South Africa’s world-famous national botanical garden, set against the backdrop of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, and home to over 22 000 indigenous plants. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2004 and visitors can enjoy rolling lawns, a conservatory, herb gardens, historic ponds and fountains, and a cycad garden that shows off a family of plants that dates back some 200-million years.
Cape Point is a spectacular, narrow finger of land, covered in endemic fynbos and home to picturesque bays, beaches, rolling green hills and valleys. It is the most southerly point within the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park and one of the richest areas for plants in the world – it is home to nearly 20% of Africa’s flora.
The V&A Waterfront is South Africa’s most visited destination – a combination of shops, restaurants, nightspots, tourist attractions and museums in the city’s historic harbour that attracts millions of visitors a year. Situated in the heart of the Mother City’s working harbour and set against the spectacular backdrop of Table Mountain, “the Waterfront” is a hub of varied activity and a Cape Town must-see.
Constantia Estate
The elegant suburb of Constantia is situated in the Cape’s oldest winelands and is home to renowned wine estates and numerous award-winning restaurants. Seven producers make up the Constantia Wine Valley today. They are Groot Constantia, High Constantia, Constantia Uitsig, Steenberg, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting and Constantia Glen.
With over 3 000 marine creatures on view – including sharks, turtles and penguins – the Two Oceans Aquarium is one of the finest aquariums in the world. Situated at the V&A Waterfront, the aquarium displays the unique marine life of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The inviting and often interactive displays offer an educational and entertaining experience that will appeal to young and old alike.
This leading art museum houses outstanding collections of African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish art dating from colonial to modern times and includes paintings, photography, sculpture, architecture, beadwork, textiles and works on paper. These collections are at times complemented with visiting exhibitions.
Clifton Fourth Beach
The Castle of Good Hope is South Africa’s oldest surviving building and conveniently situated in the city centre. Built by Jan van Riebeeck and the Dutch East India Company, the building, which is an example of a “star fort”, was completed in 1679. The building’s 18th-century décor has been restored and it now functions as a popular museum.
This museum revives the history of a vibrant community that was forcibly removed in the apartheid era. In 1966 the National Party government declared District Six a “white group area”, moved thousands of residents (mostly coloured and black people) to the Cape Flats and demolished all buildings except religious ones. Nowadays, former residents and their descendants are rebuilding their memories and cultural heritage.
See a breeding colony of African penguins at close range at Boulders, where you can also swim in the sea and enjoy the sandy beach. The wheelchair-friendly wooden boardwalk is a great way to see and get very close to the 3 000 African penguins (Spheniscus demersus).
A penguin at Boulders Beach
The Heart of Cape Town Museum at Groote Schuur Hospital commemorates the people who made the world’s first human heart transplant possible in 1967, when Professor Christiaan Barnard operated on Louis Washkansky. You can see the operating theatres as they were at the time of the breakthrough.
The Iziko South African Museum, founded in 1825 and situated in the Company Garden, takes care of more than 1.5-million items of cultural and scientific significance. The collection ranges from fossils and Stone Age tools to clothing and artefacts both old and modern – together representing natural and cultural history.
The imposing Rhodes Memorial, which sits at the foot of Devil’s Peak in the Table Mountain National Park, offers visitors spectacular views towards the Hottentots Holland mountains. The memorial, which was designed by Sir Herbert Baker, was built in 1912 to honour the former Cape Colony Prime Minister and mining magnate Cecil John Rhodes.
Chapman’s Peak
Chapman’s Peak Drive winds its way between Noordhoek and Hout Bay and is touted as one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world. There are viewpoints en route which are perfect for picnics and sundowners and offer the opportunity to take photographs of the sheer cliffs and breathtaking seascapes.
Under the looming Twelve Apostles and Lion’s Head, with views out across the turquoise-coloured sea, Camps Bay has one of the best beaches in the world. The area is packed with funky restaurants and trendy pubs on one side and a palm-fringed beach on the other.
Scenic Hout Bay is a vibey coastal town with a lovely swimming beach and a picturesque harbour where you can buy the best fish and chips in the world.
Gugulethu is a colourful combination of vibrant life and the problems associated with poverty, making a visit to the township unforgettable. The community has embraced the tourism industry, so there is no shortage of restaurants, jazz clubs and B&Bs.
Menu
Enquiry
Do you need more information, or would like to make a booking? Call +27 21 487 6800, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Skype us.
Or contact us using the form below:
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletters
2010 on Twitter
