Cape Town

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Affectionately known as the Mother City, Cape Town, South Africa, is a city of plenty with its multitude of rich cultures, outdoor activities, innovative restaurants, colorful festivals, and beautiful scenery.

The city of Cape Town grew out of a European settlement founded on the shore below the mountains in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck for the Dutch East India Company and was originally the largest city in South Africa. Now it’s a vibrant, multi-cultural city with a unique architectural heritage. The city features the highest density of Cape Dutch style buildings in the world which combines the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Indonesia. A lively city, the annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival is the largest of its kind. Competing teams parade by in their colorful costumes playing Cape Jazz.

Cape Town is a city of dramatic and beautiful landscapes. The City Bowl, the central amphitheater-shaped area of Cape Town, is bounded on one side by Table Bay and on the other by the high peaks of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head, and Signal Hill. Table Mountain National Park offers opportunities to visit Table Mountain’s peak for a breathtaking view of the city. Of course, the city is also well-known for its array of beautiful beaches. Camps Bay beaches in Clifton offer a more upscale experience with cafes, restaurants, and bars. While, Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is home to a colony of African Penguins as well as an annual surfing competition.

One of Cape Town’s most notable and most visited attractions is the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. It continues to function as a working dock, and visitors can watch ships come and go. The V & A, as it is locally known, also boasts hundreds of shops and is a departing point for ferries to Hout Bay, Simon’s Town, the Cape Fur Seal colony, and Robben Island, location of the Nelson Mandela Gateway. Other cultural attractions include Artscape Theatre Centre, Cape Winelands, and Cape Town Stadium, a 2010 FIFA World Cup venue. The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden contains protected natural forest and fynbos along with a variety of animals and birds including over 7,000 species of plants.

The city also boasts a high number of exciting adventures. There are plenty of dolphin and whale watching tours available. While the more daring may even try cage-diving with great white sharks. Table Mountain has plenty of scenic hiking and biking trails and even a chance to abseil off the top or enjoy a tandem paragliding experience. The peak can be accessed either by taking the exciting Table Mountain Cableway or by hiking to the top.