top things to do in cape town
South Africa’s Mother City is one of the best of all world travel experiences.
Located at the southern tip of South Africa, Cape Town is one of the most stunningly diverse cities in the world. Where else could you swim with penguins, climb an iconic mountain and visit vineyards all in one day?
Cape Town is possibly most famous for the truly unique Table Mountain a onekilometre (0.6-mile) high mountain whose most distinguishing feature is a flat summit that stretches for 3.2 kilometres (two miles). The sheer size of the mountaintop, the rugged terrain and the wildlife make it easy to forget you’re not on the ground, but instead on South Africa’s smallest mountain. Table Mountain is ideal for nature lovers, as it is home to a wider range of unique flora and fauna than anywhere else in the world. A walk around Table Mountain is a truly unforgettable sight, and the cable car to the top is cheap, quick and safe.
Once you’ve finished your mountain climbing, you may be in need of a dip in the ocean, so a trip to Boulders Beach is in order as long as you don’t mind sharing. That’s because Boulders is home to hundreds of African penguins! There is nowhere else in the world you can get this close to these magnificent birds in the wild.
All that exercise may have left you needing a drink so where better than Stellenbosch? The vineyards are a 45-minute drive from the city in perhaps South Africa’s most well-known wine-producing region, boasting internationally renowned Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage.
If you’ve gone all the way to Cape Town, why not head to the place that gave it its name the Cape of Good Hope. This point at the southwestern tip of Africa has a fearsome reputation among sailors, but provides tourists with a stunning view of the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean with the added advantage of a possibility of a whale sighting.
But what of the city itself? History buffs simply have to schedule in a visit to Robben Island, the prison in which Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. Tours are conducted by former inmates, many of whom were there at the same time as the former president.
The Castle of Good Hope is also a gorgeous piece of architecture. Sports fans can take in a Test match at the spectacular Newlands Cricket Stadium, while foodies must head to the Old Biscuit Mill, which houses a number of top-class restaurants including the Test Kitchen, voted Africa’s best restaurant in 2018.
Put simply, there is nowhere in the world quite like Cape Town that has so much to offer every kind of traveller. The adventurer, the nature-lover, the wine buff, the city breaker and the beachbum can all spend a magical time in South Africa’s vibrant coastal gem.