Cape Town
Mother City of Africa
General Information
Other Name: -, , State: Western Cape, South Africa
Area: 2454.72 km²
Languages Spoken: -
Long Distance Code: +27(0)21
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: November to March and -
International Access: -Description
Cape Town, Mother City of Africa, and the Western Cape, an area which is regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the world. The City is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers, the local Bushman and Hottentot tribes and the Bantu tribes from the north.The impressive presence of Table Mountain, flanked by the legendary Devil's Peak and historical Signal Hill, stands proudly above the city. Beautiful white sandy beaches along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the winelands, green in summer and red-gold in autumn.Cape Town boasts a multitude of entertainment, ranging from outdoor activities and adventures in the sun to a roaring night life under neon signs. The vast range of shopping opportunities includes haggling with shopholders at Greenmarket Square Flea Market, as well as breezing through sophisticated and stylish shopping malls. The huge variety of restaurants reflects the multicultured history of the Cape and caters for everyone's taste, from fast-food outlets and casual to the chic to the very elegant.Cape Town is a city of culture, built on a history that reflects in the architecture, cuisine, music and dance. Together with a warm summer and temperate winter climate and a friendly community, the Western Cape and the Mother City are an ideal holiday destination throughout the year.Location
-Climate
Mediterranean climate
Boulders Beach is situated just after the naval port and picturesque village of Simons’s Town. The beach has a very healthy population of African Penguins who have chosen the beach as their home and breeding ground due to the fact that there are fewer predators on this part of the coast.Since 1985 the population has grown at a significant rate as the birds are feeding on the abundant supply of small shoaling fish in False Bay.The protected area is a popular local attraction and is looked after by the Table Mountain National Park.There are walkways that enable you to view the penguins without disturbing them in their natural habitat.Children will love the penguins and their antics and Boulders Beach is also worth a stop for safe and enjoyable swimming.
This is the oldest surviving stone building in South Africa, built in 1666-79 as the residence of the Governor and for the protection of the early settlers, though in fact the castle, which is in the form of a five-pointed star, was never exposed to attack.The main gate leads into an inner courtyard. The range of buildings with an elaborate columned balcony, originally used for ceremonial and official occasions, now houses the William Fehr Collection. The collection includes pictures, porcelain, fine glass, ceramics and furniture of the 17th-19th C from South Africa, Europe and Asia.Visitors are shown various prisons and store-rooms (in which archaeological finds are displayed) and taken up on to one of the bastions. Much of the castle is closed to the public, since it is the provincial headquarters of the South African army.
At the tip of the Cape Peninsula you will find Cape Point within the Table Mountain National Park. The expansive Table Mountain National Park stretches from Signal Hill and Table Mountain in the north to Cape Point in the south and encompasses the seas and coastline of the peninsula. Within Cape Point the treacherous cliffs forming the most southwestern tip of Africa are some of the highest in the world and mark the spot where the cold Beguela current on the West coast and the warm Agulhus current on the East coast merge.Inside the reserve you will find a variety of animals including buck, baboons and Cape Mountain Zebra as well as over 250 species of birds and indigenous flora that is found nowhere else in the world.
Walking through Church Square, one can find some points of historical interest. Overlooking the square is the statue of Onze Jan, the retired Honorable Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr, an influential statesman of the 19th century whose work ensured official recognition of the Afrikaans language. The statue was made by Anton van Wouw. You will also find a circular plaque, which marks the spot where slaves were sold until their emancipation on December 1st 1834. The double-storeyed, green-shuttered building opposite the Groote Kerk was once the slave lodge, and is today the Cultural Museum.
This picturesque bay is nestled amongst steep mountain peaks. There is a busy fishing port, yacht club and beautiful stretch of white sand. The beach offers safe swimming and is popular with families. It is a busy, fun place with beach-goers walking dogs, flying kites or playing in the surf and sand. Sailing and fishing boats dot the blue waters. The morning's catch of fish and crayfish can be bought at Mariner's Wharf, the harbour front emporium. The complex also has a great seafood restaurant as well as gift, craft and shell shops. From the harbour you can take one of the regular boat trips to Duiker Island, which is home to a colony of Cape Fur Seals. Other places of interest in and around Hout Bay include the World of Birds, Hout Bay Museum and the spectacular, cliff hugging Chapman's Peak Drive.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a floral treasure, famous for its beauty and the diversity of the Cape flora it displays. The setting is magnificent, against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and only 13 km outside of Cape Town.The estate covers 528 hectares, and only indigenous South African plants are grown here. A diverse range of fynbos flora and forest grows naturally on the mountainside, and a number of trails lead through the natural Garden. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter rainfall region of the country.Fynbos, proteas, cycads and rolling lawns are intermingled with streams and ponds and well-laid out pathways for easy walking. A great variety of birds inhabit the gardens and the sweeping views from the upper slopes are spectacular. Whether for a casual stroll, a more stenuous walk or a lazy picnic, the gardens are a must-see when visiting Cape Town.
Robben Island is situated about 12km into the sea in the middle of Table Bay. Separated from the Cape mainland by a narrow channel of seawater, the island is a remote place, considered inaccessible for centuries. The author Lawrence Green described Robben Island as "The Island of Exiles", an appropriate title, given that the island has been used primarily as a prison ever since the Dutch settled at the Cape in the mid-16th century. From 1846-1931, the island harboured a hospital for leprosy patients, and the mentally and chronically ill. During this time, political and common-law prisoners were still kept on the island, and the island was as much a prison to them as to the patients, for whose ailing there was no cure and little effective treatment available.The famous Robben Island, whose prison was once home to former South African president Nelson Mandela as well as many other black political freedom fighters, is now a World Heritage Site and provides stunning views across the bay with Table Mountain as its backdrop. A trip to the island is an unforgettable experience and offers a glimpse into the life and times of the apartheid era.Daily tours to the island include the ferry trip there and back, an island tour and a tour of the prison with a fomer political prisoner as your guide. Allow three and a half hours for the trip.
Just 15 km from the city center of Cape Town, a world filled with adventure and thrills awaits you at the Ratanga Junction Theme Park. The Theme Park offers something for everyone - white-knuckle thrill rides for the more intrepid adrenalin junkies, kiddy rides and rides for the whole family and those who prefer to take their thrills in more manageable doses, boat rides and train rides, snake shows and bird shows, souvenir shops and restaurants.
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park.The flat top of the mountain is often covered by clouds/mist/fog spilling over the top to form the table cloth.The main feature of Table Mountain is a level plateau approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) from side to side, surrounded by steep cliffs.The highest point on Table Mountain is towards the eastern end of the plateau and is marked by Maclears Beacon, a stone cairn built in 1865 by Sir Thomas Maclear for trigonometrical survey. It is 1,086 metres (3,563 ft) above sea level, about 19 metres (62 ft) higher than the cable station at the western end of the plateau.Table Mountain is at the northern end of a sandstone mountain range that forms the spine of the Cape Peninsula. To the south of the main plateau is a lower part of the range called the Back Table. On the Atlantic coast of the peninsula, the range is known as the Twelve Apostles. The range continues southwards to Cape Point.The main vegetation of the mountain is the unique and rich Cape fynbos, which forms part of the Cape Floral Region protected areas. These protected areas are a World Heritage Site, and an estimated 2,200 species of plants are found on the mountain alone. Amongst these species are many kinds of proteas.The most common animal on the mountain is the dassie, or rock hyrax. They especially cluster around the upper cable station, near areas where tourists may discard or (illegally) supply food. There are also porcupines, mongooses, snakes and tortoises. The last lion in the area was shot circa 1802. Leopards persisted on the mountain until perhaps the 1920s but are now extinct locally.Antonio de Saldanha was the first European to land in Table Bay. He climbed the mighty mountain in 1503 and named it Table Mountain. The great cross that the Portuguese navigator carved in the rock of Lions Head is still traceable.Hiking on Table Mountain is popular amongst locals and tourists, and a number of trails of varying difficulty are available. Because of the steep cliffs around the summit, direct ascents from the city side are limited. Rock climbing on Table Mountain is a very popular pastime. There are well-documented climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty up the many faces of the mountain. As the mountain is part of the Cape Floral Region which is a World Heritage Site, no bolting can be done here and only traditional climbing is allowed. Commercial groups also offer abseiling from the upper cable station.
Over 3000 animals, including fishes, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles and birds can be seen in the spectacular underwater world of the Two Oceans Aquarium.From ragged tooth sharks and shoals of yellowtail to Knysna seahorses and African penguins, the Aquarium is a dynamic place where the oceans come alive.The Aquarium offers opportunities such as diving with the sharks and oceans of fun activities for children.The I&J Predator Exhibit contains 2.2 million litres of seawater and is one of the most dramatic exhibit in the Aquarium. There are several great viewing points including the semi-tunnel which hugs the perimeter of the exhibit - offering a spine-tingling encounter as sharks swim overhead.
This energetic working harbour is one of South Africa's most popular tourist attractions. Today the V&A Waterfront attracts more than 20 million visitors each year - locals and international tourists alike. With over 400 stores and 45 different restaurants and bars to offer, an arts and crafts centre, the IMAX cinema, an internationally renowned aquarium, a children's science exploratium and a museum.Since its origin in 1860, the Port of Cape Town provided an important haven along the Eastern trade routes. By the time Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's second son, tipped the first load of stone into the sea to initiate the construction of Cape Town's harbour, the city had already been transformed into a hive of seafront activity. Even today many exotic and diverse products can be found here. The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa necessitated an elaboration of the existing harbour section.The two harbour basins were constructed between 1860 and 1920, and the area is noted for its heritage buildings which retain the charm of Victorian industrial architecture and a harbour built for sail and the early days of steam travel. Redevelopment of this famous site began in 1988 and continues today around the original Victoria and Alfred basins.
Cape Town boasts many fine wine routes including Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Constantia. These regions produce some of the finest wines in the world and are sought after by connoisseurs everywhere. Visit the vineyards, see the cellars and sip red, white & rose wines in the quiet of the country and experience a rich cultural heritage. A visit to Spier or Neethlingshof is well worth your while.