Cape Town City Hall

Cape Town

　　Cape Town's old city hall is a grand Edwardian building dating to 1905. Nelson Mandela made his first public speech from the front balcony here after being released from prison in February 1990. 　　City Hall's auditorium is one of several venues for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. ...

St James Beach

Cape Town

　　This small beach, next to St James train station, has colourful bathing chalets and a tidal pool for safe swimming. It's popular with families. 　　A coastal path runs 2km from here to Muizenberg Beach, offering False Bay views and possible sightings of seals and whales. ...

Long Street

Cape Town

　　A stroll along Long St is an essential element of a Cape Town visit. This busy commercial and nightlife thoroughfare, partly lined with Victorian-era buildings featuring lovely wrought-iron balconies, once formed the border of the Muslim Bo-Kaap. By the 1960s, Long St had fallen into disrepute and it remained that...

Mariner’s Wharf

Cape Town

　　A touristy complex of seafood restaurants, souvenir shops, and fish and chips stands beside sandy Hout Bay Beach. The Wharfette Bistro & Takeaway (mains R70 to R95) is a popular spot for hake and chips, while the Wharfside Grill (mains R125 to R245) offers more elaborate dishes such as Thai...

Church St

Cape Town

　　The pedestrianised portion of this street, between Burg and Long Sts, hosts a flea market (8am to 3pm Monday to Saturday) and has several interesting art galleries. At the Burg St end The Purple Shall Govern memorial is a piece of graphic art by Conrad Botes commemorating a 1989 anti-apartheid...

Greenmarket Square

Cape Town

　　This cobbled square is Cape Town’s second-oldest public space after the Grand Parade. It hosts a lively and colourful crafts and souvenir market daily. Apart from the Old Town House, the square is also surrounded by some choice examples of art deco architecture, including Market House, an elaborately decorated building...

Grand Parade

Cape Town

　　A prime location for Cape Town’s history, the Grand Parade is where the Dutch built their first fort in 1652; where slaves were sold and punished; and where crowds gathered to watch Nelson Mandela’s first address to the nation as a free man after 27 years in jail, made from...

Clifton 1st Beach

Cape Town

　　The first of Clifton's four beaches strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton. As with the other three, it's almost always sheltered from the wind and offers top sunbathing spots. Before hopping in the sea, remember that the water comes straight from the Antarctic, so swimming here is exhilarating (ie freezing)....

Noordhoek Beach

Cape Town

　　This magnificent 5km stretch of beach is favoured by surfers and horse riders. It tends to be windy, and dangerous for swimmers. The Hoek, as it is known to surfers, is an excellent right beach break at the northern end that can hold large waves (only attempt it at low...

Zeitz MOCAA Museum

Cape Town

　　The Waterfront's old grain silo has been transformed into this state-of-the-art museum for the contemporary Southern African art collection of entrepreneur Jochen Zeitz, as well the museum's own collection and loaned works. Opened in September 2017 MOCAA is still finding its feet as an exhibition space, but already provides a...

Hout Bay Harbour

Cape Town

　　Partly given over to tourism with complexes such as Mariner’s Wharf, Hout Bay’s harbour still functions and the southern side is a fishing port and processing centre. Cruises and snorkelling/diving trips to Duiker Island depart from here. ...

Bo-Kaap

Cape Town

　　Meaning ‘Upper Cape’, the Bo-Kaap, with its vividly painted low-roofed houses, many of them historic monuments, strung along narrow cobbled streets, is one of the most photographed sections of the city. Initially a garrison for soldiers in the mid-18th century, this area of town was where freed slaves started to...

Camps Bay Beach

Cape Town

　　With soft white sand and a backdrop of the spectacular Twelve Apostles range (part of Table Mountain), this Blue Flag beach is one of the city’s most popular. However, it has drawbacks: it's one of the windiest beaches here; it gets crowded, particularly on weekends; and the surf is strong....

Olympia Cafe & Deli

Cape Town

　　Setting a high standard for relaxed rustic cafes by the sea, Olympia bakes its own breads and pastries. It’s great for breakfast, and its Mediterranean-influenced lunch dishes are delicious, too – particularly the heaped bowls of mussels. There's live jazz on some Friday and Saturday nights. ...

Two Oceans Aquarium

Cape Town

　　This excellent aquarium features denizens of the deep from the cold and the warm oceans that border the Cape Peninsula. It's a chance to see penguins, turtles, an astounding kelp forest open to the sky, and pools in which kids can touch sea creatures. Qualified divers can get into the...

Signal Hill

Cape Town

　　The early settlement’s lookout point is so named because it was from here that flags were hoisted when a ship was spotted, giving the people below time to prepare goods for sale and dust off their tankards. Walk, cycle or drive to the summit, which is part of Table Mountain...

Sandy Bay

Cape Town

　　This particularly beautiful stretch of sandy beach is roughly a 15-minute walk to the south from the Sunset Rocks parking area at Llandudno. As Cape Town's unofficial nudist beach – though there's no pressure to take your clothes off – and is popular with the gay community as a cruising...

Table Mountain National Park

Cape Town

　　Stretching from Signal Hill to Cape Point, this 220-sq-km park is a natural wonder, its range of environments including granite and sandstone mountains, giant-boulder-strewn beaches and shady forests. For the vast majority of visitors, the main attraction is the 1086m-high mountain itself, the top of which can easily be accessed...

Eagle’s Nest

Cape Town

　　Try the viognier or shiraz at this boutique winery nestling among the Constantia vineyards, and enjoy a deli cuts platter (R145) or artisan cheese board (R165) in the shady grounds beside a stream. ...

V&A Waterfront

Cape Town

　　This historic working harbour has a spectacular setting and many tourist-oriented attractions, including masses of shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and cruises. The Alfred and Victoria Basins date from 1860 and are named after Queen Victoria and her son Alfred. Too small for modern container vessels and tankers, the Victoria Basin...

Muizenberg Beach

Cape Town

　　Popular with families, this surf beach is famous for its row of colourfully painted Victorian bathing chalets. Surfboards can be hired and lessons booked at several shops along Beach Rd. The beach shelves gently and the sea is generally safer here than elsewhere along the peninsula. 　　At the eastern end...

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts

Cape Town

　　Don't miss taking a picnic and some bubbly to one of these wonderful outdoor concerts, staged in the stunning botanical gardens beneath Table Mountain on Sundays from November to April. Some of the biggest names in South African music perform here. ...

Bloubergstrand

Cape Town

　　The beaches beside this pleasant coastal suburb are where the British won their 1806 battle for the Cape. The panoramic view they provide of Table Mountain across Table Bay is fabulous, but these beaches are also popular with kite-surfers and windsurfers; watching them ride the waves on the weekends is...

Sea Point Promenade

Cape Town

　　Strolling along Sea Point’s wide, paved and grassy promenade is a pleasure shared by Capetonians from all walks of life. Once a white-only area, it’s now a great place to observe the city's multiculturalism. There are kids' playgrounds, a well-maintained outdoor gym and several public artworks. 　　The coast here is...

Long Beach

Cape Town

　　For breezy beach walks, it doesn’t get much better than this aptly named stretch of white sand. There are stunning views up the mountainous coastline as far as Hout Bay. To find the car park, follow Kirsten Ave from Kommetjie Rd and turn left. ...

Constantia Glen

Cape Town

　　There's a sweeping view of the vineyards from the terrace in front of the tasting room at this boutique winery, which is known for its sauvignon blanc and bordeaux-style blends. Accompany your tasting with a yummy cheese-and-charcuterie platter. ...

Twelve Apostles

Cape Town

　　The name of the Twelve Apostles is said to have been coined by British governor Sir Rufane Donkin in 1820. There are actually well over 12 buttresses on the sea-facing side of Table Mountain, and none is individually named after an apostle. Called De Gevelbergen (Gable Mountains) by the Dutch,...

Nobel Square

Cape Town

　　Here’s your chance to have your photo taken with Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. Larger-than-life statues of both men, designed by the artist Claudette Schreuders, stand beside those of two other South African Nobel Prize winners – Nkosi Albert Luthuli and FW de Klerk. 　　Also here is the Peace and...

Yours Truly Cafe & Bar

Cape Town

　　This place is hopping from early morning to late at night. Travellers mingle with hipster locals, who come for the excellent coffee, craft beer, gourmet sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas and the occasional DJ event. 　　It's in front of Once in Cape Town backpackers. ...

Silvermine Nature Reserve

Cape Town

　　The Silvermine Reservoir, a beautiful spot for a picnic or a leisurely walk on the wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, is the focal point of this section of Table Mountain National Park. The placid reservoir waters are tannin-stained and, despite the signs forbidding swimming, you’ll often find locals taking a dip here. Some...

Groot Constantia

Cape Town

　　Simon van der Stel’s manor house, a superb example of Cape Dutch architecture, is maintained as a museum at Groot Constantia. Set in beautiful grounds, the estate can become busy with tour groups, but is big enough for you to escape the crowds. The large tasting room is first on...

District Six Museum

Cape Town

　　It's impossible not to be emotionally moved by this museum, which celebrates the once lively multiracial area that was destroyed during apartheid in the 1960s and 1970s, its 60,000 inhabitants forcibly removed. Inside the former Methodist Mission Church, home interiors have been recreated, alongside photographs, recordings and testimonials, all of...

Boulders Penguin Colony

Cape Town

　　This picturesque area, with enormous boulders dividing small, sandy coves, is home to a colony of some 3000 delightful African penguins. A boardwalk runs from the Boulders Visitor Centre at the Foxy Beach end of the protected area – part of Table Mountain National Park – to Boulders Beach, where...

Robben Island

Cape Town

　　Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) right up until 1996, this Unesco World Heritage site is preserved as a memorial to those (such as Nelson Mandela) who spent many years incarcerated here. You can only go here on a tour, which...

Table Mountain

Cape Town

　　Around 600 million years old, and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, Table Mountain is truly iconic. You can admire the showstopper of Table Mountain National Park and one of the 'New 7 Wonders of Nature' (https://nature.new7wonders.com) from multiple angles, but you really can’t...

Cape of Good Hope

Cape Town

　　This 77.5-sq-km section of Table Mountain National Park includes awesome scenery, fantastic walks, great birdwatching and often-deserted beaches. The reserve is commonly referred to as Cape Point, after its most dramatic (but less famous) promontory. Bookings are required for the two-day Cape of Good Hope Trail, a spectacular 33.8km circular...

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Cape Town

　　Location and unique flora combine to make these 5.28-sq-km botanical gardens among the most beautiful in the world. Gate 1, the main entrance at the Newlands end of the gardens, is where you’ll find the information centre, an excellent souvenir shop and the conservatory. 　　Added for the garden's centenary in...