V&A Waterfront

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 visitor’s a year … and for good reason.

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.

(“V&A” stands for Victoria and Alfred, after Queen Victoria of England and her youngest son, Alfred, who officially laid the first stones of the harbour in 1860.)

You might like to visit the family-focused Two Oceans Aquarium  (+27 21 418 3823; www.aquarium.co.za), where you can eyeball sharks, penguins and hundreds of species of sea life. There are lots of activities ranging from helicopter flips to boat charters and relaxed harbour cruises (walk along the water’s edge and pick one – there are several options), or browse through some of the hundreds of shopping outlets ranging from larger department stores selling designer labels down to boutique jewellery and curio shops selling local arts and crafts.

For something a little more unusual, visit the free Chavonnes Battery Museum, which commemorates a massive fortification, dating to 1726.

Later, enjoy a glass of Cape wine or dinner at one of the restaurants, some of which are among the best in the country. You might even choose to stay in one of the Waterfront’s many top-class hotels such as the Cape Grace set on a private quay, or the Victoria & Alfred Hotel, located in the historic 1904 North Quay Warehouse (visit (add link to V&A Waterfont suburb in our accommodation section) for details and more options).

For those in search of local culture and history there are a number of museums and galleries that form part of the precinct – including the Maritime Centre in the Union Castle Building, which features a collection of ship models and objects associated with shipping in Cape Town, in particular the era of mail ships.

The Waterfront is home to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, the embarkation point to Robben Island (+27 21 413 4200; www.robben-island.org.za. Robben Island served as a prison, a hospital and a military base between the 17th and 20th centuries, and is now an island-museum and top tourist attraction. Its maximum-security prison, which during the apartheid era housed political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratic president, today bears testament to the victory of democracy over apartheid and oppression.

The Waterfront’s Amphitheatre is a good spot for live entertainment (often provided to the public for free) – from concerts to creative workshops to puppet shows.

Flickr Images

An automatic feed of all Creative Commons-licensed images on Flickr using the text “ V&A Waterfront ”.

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