Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa. With its most extraordinary displays of nature and culture, there's nowhere quite like Cape Town, a singularly beautiful city crowned by the magnificent Table Mountain National Park.
PLACES TO VISIT
1.TABLE MOUNTAIN
The quick ride will give you a bird’s eye view of the City Bowl. The summit can also be reached on foot through a multitude of beautiful albeit exhausting, trails.
2.ROBBEN ISLAND
Since the 17th century when the city was founded this site has acted as a military base, a home for a leper colony, a mental institution, and, most famously, a prison. Today, Robben Island houses a fascinating museum detailing the history of the island and offering tours led by former inmates of the former prison, including Nelson Mandela's cell.
3.VICTORIA & ALFRED WATERFRONT
This bustling harbor has acted as the stopover point for European ships for centuries. Today, the waterfront caters to tourists and residents alike with a wide array of shopping venues, restaurants, and notable attractions. This is also the jumping off point for whale-watching tours and excursions to Robben Island.
4.TWO OCEANS AQUARIUM
The aquarium houses more than 3,000 creatures, including penguins, sharks, and turtles. You can also watch animal feedings and even take a swim in the shark tank.
5.CASTLE OF GOOD HOPE
At the heart of Cape Town is the oldest surviving building in South Africa, the star-shaped fortress. Build in the late 17th Century, the Castle of Good Hope acted as the center of colonial Cape Town's administration and armed forces. The Castle also houses several museums.
6.DISTRICT SIX MUSEUM
Established in 1994, the District Six Museum commemorates and educates visitors about the people of District Six. In 1966 when apartheid was in full swing it was declared a “white” neighborhood all other people was forced to move to the the shanty towns established in Cape Flats, a barren area on the outskirts of the city. The museum memorializes these displaced citizens with exhibits that recount their stories and inform visitors about social justice.
7.BOULDERS BEACH PENQUIN COLONY
Walk on the beach, sunbathe or swim with the penguins, Boulders Beach is the place to be. The path to the penguin area is wheel-chair accessible and allows visitors to get within a few feet of the penguins. While the penguins are used to humans, visitors should look, but not touch them, as they may bite if they get scared.
8.CAPE POINT
It is located at the very end of the Cape Peninsula with its high boulders and picturesque stunning ocean views. Part of the Table Mountain National Park, Cape Point is home to about 250 species of birds as well as baboons and zebra. With its tremendous variety of plant life helps make Cape Point a photographer’s paradise.
9.BO-KAAP
Also known as the Malay Quarter, is a colorful neighborhood with its brightly painted, uniquely-styled houses, and cobblestone streets. Bo-Kaap is a multicultural area, home to Muslim mosques and shrines, and the Bo-Kaap Museum that showcases the life of early Muslims in the area. The museum also features 19th century furnishings found in Cape Town homes of that era.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT
- Iziko South African Museum
- Lion’s Head
- Signal Hill
- Greenmarket Square
- South African National Gallery
- Rhodes Memorial
- Table Bay
- Cape Peninsula
- Hottentots Holland Mountains
- St George’s Cathedral
- Sandy Bay
- Hout Bay Museum
- Grotto Bay
- Slaves Lodge
- Ratanga Junction
- Company’s Garden
- World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary
- Platteklip Gorge
- Tygerberg Nature Reserve
- Chapman’s Peak
- The Cape Wheel
- Cheetah Outreach
- Coo-RunningZandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve
THINGS TO DO
- Great White Shark Cage Diving
- Beach Horse Riding in Noordhoek
- Shipwreck Scuba Diving at Cape Point Route
- Camel Riding in the fynbos at Kommetjie
- Climbing Slangkoppunt lighthouse in Kommetjie
- Boat trips to Cape Point
- Hike the Hoerikwaggo Trail
- Sea Kayak with the Penguins in Simon’s Town
- Deep Sea Fishing in Hout Bay and Simon’s Town
- Learn how to surf at Muizenberg
Described as having a Mediterranean climate, the city is a paradise in the summer and wet and cool in the winter.
The best way to get around in Cape Town is by Uber, taxi, bicycle, bus, dubble decker bus and rental car.
Vibescout: https://www.vibescout.com/za/cape-town/things-to-do-cape-town
