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Cape Town
About Cape Town
Cape Town is the provincial capital of the Western Cape as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the national Parliament and many government offices are located. Cape Town with its warm African climate and dramatic scenery is often regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities with such famous destinations as the historic harbor, the Table Mountain and Cape Point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans converge. It is a cosmopolitan city that not only has a pristine coastline and a magnificent countryside, but also a bustling city life with many shopping malls, restaurants, jazz cafes, theatres, casinos and nightclubs.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- Visit the famous harbor
- See the historic Cape Dutch buildings
- Enjoy Cape Town many pubs and restaurants and pubs along the Waterfront with its magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean
- The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the popular shopping area from where you can take scenic boat trips to Robben Island, Seal Island and Duiker Island.
- Pay a visit to Kirstenbosch botanical gardens
- Chapman's Peak Drive
- Signal Hill with the Noon gun
- Experience the townships that surround the city with their unique character trying to escape the cycle of poverty.
- Enjoy the white sandy beaches like Blouberg beach
- Or take the chance to enjoy the great surfing conditions in Muizenberg, Kommetjie, Long Beach and Llandudno. For professionals there is the yearly Red Bull Big Wave Africa Competition
- See Boulders Beach with its colony of penguins
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- District Six Museum
- The Cultural History Museum
- The South African National Gallery
Highlights in the vicinity
- Table Mountain, the dramatic backdrop to the city, which can be accessed on foot or by cable car
- Hike to Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak
- Visit Cape Point at the end of the Cape Peninsula
- Visit Robben Island, the famous prison where Nelson Mandela was held
- See the population of Cape Fur Seals on Seal Island and Duiker Island
- Try one of the routes through nearby winelands of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek
- Visit the Breede River Valley and the Tankwa-Karoo National Park in the north, known for its indigenous fynbos, clear mountain streams and African bush.
- Visit Overberg with its superb beaches. The coastal village of Hermanus offers great opportunities for whale watching
- The environment of Cape Town has great opportunities for mountaineering, hiking, mountain-biking, kite-flying, hang-gliding and parasailing, boat trips or bird watching.
- See the Namaqualand region on the west coast of South Africa
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 3.3 Million
- Timezone: UTC +2
- Weather: Mediterranean mild and equable climate year round. The interior gets very hot in summer. By the way: winter is from June to August.
- The emergency police tel. nr.: 10111.
- Police-Tourist Assistance tel. nr.: 4182852
Local transport
- Walk-the weather is great for it!
- Minibus Taxis
- Taxi cabs are recommended at night
- Rental car
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: Cape Town International Airport is approximately 17km from the city centre
- Train: with excellent connections to the southern Peninsula and the Western Cape
- Intercity Buses are excellent
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View from Table Mountain
Clocktower-Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
