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Cape Town

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Cape Town
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Cape Town Travel Guide

  • About Cape Town

Cape Town is a city that proves you really can have it all. Whether you want endless sandy beaches, top notch vineyards, gourmet restaurants or magnificent nature, Cape Town’s got it.That isn’t even the half of it, though. South Africa’s oldest city really is a stunner, helped by a dramatic natural setting that includes sunset views stretching out over the undulating ocean.

On the ground, Cape Town’s suburbs sprawl but are still surprisingly manageable, with most tourist attractions clustered close together. You can’t walk far without stumbling across markets selling African crafts, independent art galleries, fascinating museums or some of the continent’s best restaurants.

The city centre has lots to keep you occupied, whether you’re in lively Long Street, wandering among the colourful houses of Bo Kaap or walking around the European-influenced De Waterkant.

Many tourists stay in the City Bowl, where you’ll find the leafier suburbs of Gardens below Table Mountain, and Tamboerskloof below Lion’s Head; or on the Atlantic Seaboard, with its close proximity to the promenade and beaches.

The waterfront is always bustling with visitors and locals enjoying the shops and restaurants or waiting to board the ferry to Robben Island to see Nelson Mandela’s former prison cell.

Outside the city, the Cape vineyards offer a glimpse into another world; a verdant landscape lined with vines, historic wine estates and towns such as Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek.

There’s another world beyond the city limits: the townships, which the majority of Cape residents call home. Some are uplifting, others less so, and nearly all can be visited on responsible township tours.

So, no matter if you’re after chasing the colour and carnival of the chaotic city centre or sipping a Chenin blanc among the casks of a Stellenbosch wine estate, Cape Town can be uncorked, savoured and enjoyed time and time again.

  • Cape Town History

Cape Town wasn’t always so beautiful. It was thought to date back almost 27,000 years, when its first incarnation was as a small seaside settlement inhabited by nomadic hunter-gatherers.

This state of affairs continued until 1488, when the Portuguese discovered the area and were swiftly followed by compatriot Vasco de Gama in 1497. Opening up an isolated part of the continent to European influences would change the course of the Cape’s history. In the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese dominated trade but were surpassed in the 17th century by the Dutch and English, who both wanted greater control.

Dutch merchant Jan van Riebeeck arrived in 1652. He asked for slaves to be brought over and more than 60,000 arrived between 1658 and 1807. At the same time, the Dutch authorities began ruthlessly suppressing any opposition, with the indigenousness Khoe people among those imprisoned by the Dutch on Robben Island. The Cape became a Dutch colony and Boer farmers prospered and became empowered.

Further arrivals from Scandinavia, Russia, UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, India, Java and China fuelled Cape Town’s growth but Dutch power was on the wane and the British wrestled control, incorporating the Cape into the British Empire by 1814.

With British rule came liberalism and a move for reform – all unpopular with the conservative Dutch population. The gulf between British and Afrikaners widened, all the more so when in 1834, slavery was abolished.

Between 1901 and 1948, Cape Town modernised, but new laws and old prejudices separated the population on racial lines.

After WWII, apartheid kicked in with segregation extending to education, healthcare and even beach access. During the next five decades, uprisings were frequent and culminated in 1964 with the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island.

Although Mandela was released in 1990 and elected president in 1994, the transition from apartheid to majority rule was difficult and today, Cape Town continues to face challenges. Nevertheless, with its African feel and European appearance, Cape Town remains the face of modern South Africa.

  • Did you know?

Built in 1679 for the Dutch East India Company, the Slave Lodge is the second oldest building in South Africa.
The first ever heart transplant operation took place at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital in 1967.
The Cape Peninsula has had several names, including Cape of Storms. Its alias as the Cape of Good Hope was due to its worth as a sea route to the east.

  • Weather in Cape Town

With mild temperatures all year round, Cape Town is an ideal holiday destination.

Spring (September to October) fills Cape Town with colour as spectacular flowers bloom. Temperatures hover between 15°C (59°F) and 17°C (63°F), reaching the mid twenties by October.

Summer (November to February) temperatures reach an average of 25°C (77°F), but can be as high as 40°C (104°F). As summer is the most popular season among tourists, beaches can be busy and accommodation can be more expensive.

Autumn (March to April) is the perfect season for hitting the beach; there are fewer tourists and temperatures are still warm, ranging between 18°C (64°F) and 20°C (68°F).

Winter (May to August) temperatures are mild, reaching an average of 17°C (63°F). Rainfall can be unpredictable during the winter months, though, so you may need a waterproof jacket. July and August see migratory whales visit the Cape, making this a prime whale watching season.

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