Cape town – UK 0

MapClimateSightsCape Town AccommodationsEating OutHistoryMuseumsBeachesShoppingNightlife and EntertainmentInternet CafesThings to doPhoto GalleryLocationNot afraid of heights/Cape Point

Not afraid of heights/Cape Pointphoto by: Els v.d. Berkhof | A range of jagged mountains thrusting into the splendid desolation ofthe southern Atlantic, the Cape Peninsula is one of the world’s mostbeautiful places.

Pristine beaches, sheltered bays and secluded coves encircle themajestic might of Table Mountain, a World Heritage Site and home tosome 8,500 species of flower. Between the mountain’s looming crags andTable Bay’s deep blue sweep lies South Africa’s Mother City and thecosmopolitan hub of the Western Cape Province – Cape Town.

The best way to revel in the Peninsula’s unrivalled beauty is totravel to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve along one of two coastaldrives, each dramatically different. To the west, the famous Chapman’sPeak route traverses Sea Point’s cosmopolitan seaboard and the naturalbeauty of Clifton’s famed beaches, leading one from the quiet rusticityof Hout Bay over the awe-inspring, cliff-hugging Chapman’s Peak Driveto the endless, white expanse of Noordhoek’s Long Beach. The famousArgus Bicycle Race takes place on this spectacular road. The False Bayroad heads north, hugging the mountains, snaking past Fish Hoek, apopular family beach, Kalk Bay, a fishing village imbued with characterand colour, and Muizenberg, renowned for its safe swimming andexcellent surfing.

Life in the City Bowl centres around the Victoria & AlfredWaterfront, a pulsating waterfront Mecca, historical site and workingharbour offering everything from upmarket shopping malls, arts andcrafts markets, theatres and live music to entertainment showpiecesincluding the Telkom Exploratorium and the awe-inspiring Two OceansAquarium.

From the Waterfront, it’s a short boat ride to Robben Island, one ofthe most significant historical sites in South Africa. First used bythe Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a victualling station, it becamean asylum and leper colony. Later it fell under the Army and Navy andin 1960, under the Department of Correctional Services, it gainednotoriety as a prison housing former President Nelson Mandela for morethan 2 decades.

Museums and art galleries abound and South Africa’s oldest building,the Castle of Good Hope, is in the city centre. The cobbled streets ofBo-Kaap with their delightful old buildings and the first mosque inSouth Africa stand in cultural contrast to the buildings of the oldesthomestead and wine farm in the Cape, Groot Constantia. On theConstantia wine route, Groot Constantia is tied by history and the vineto estates in the Helderberg and Durbanville.

A short drive from the theme parks, malls, cineplexes and entertainment centres of Century City. 

The energetic and those wanting to explore the abundance of the CapeFloral Kingdom’s fauna and flora can take to the hills, choosing frommyriad walks and climbs: up Table Mountain or Lion’s Head, throughKirstenbosch, Silvermine, Newlands Forest or through the NatureReserves of Tygerberg, Cape of Good Hope or Helderberg.

The beaches to the city’s north-west have the post-card picture view of Table Mountain.

Because of its geographical location, Cape Town and the Western CapeProvince have a pleasant mediterranean climate.  Rain in summer andspring is rare, while winter has fairly frequent bright sunny days. Thecity is bordered by two ocean currents, the cold Benguela current onthe Atlantic side, and the warm Agulhas current from the Indian Oceanside, further moderating the temperatures.

Further attractions in the vicinity are the wine estates of Stellenbosch, Paarl and surrounding areas; the mountains of the Cederberg Wilderness Area; and the West Coast and Namaqualand with their spectaculour wild spring flower displays.

Cape Town is an all year destination, although the warmest monthsof October till March are the most popular.  The spring months ofAugust and September offer wonderful opportunities to see the CapeFloral Kingdom at its best.

ContributorsOctober 02, 2004changeby zebra66 March 29, 2005changeby giorgio February 07, 2006changeby cyclingken February 22, 2006changeby melkbos

Destinations in Cape TownStellenboschPaarlTable MountainRobben Island

More information on Cape Town Travel at Wikitravel.org

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21 Jan xxxx
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21 Jan xxxx
18 Oct 2011 – start of travelblog

posted Thursday March xxxx

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