Sightseeing in Cape Town – tourist attractions
Posted on 15. Mar, 2010 by admin in Cape Town
Attractions in Cape Town are plentiful and it’s their sheer range and diversity that keeps people coming back to ‘the mother city’ year after year. The city itself is bursting with life and boasts some of the best shopping and dining options in South Africa, as well as historic sites, natural wonders and attractions for children.
Whether you plan to stick within the city itself or explore to wonderful regions that surround it, you’d be hard-pressed to run out of things to do in Cape Town. Cape Town’s surrounding townships also provide an insight into the reverse side of the coin and allow visitors to witness the real city as most of its residents see it.
The lush winelands, on the other hand, offer the beautiful architecture of the Cape Dutch homesteads and the magnificent mountains of the Boland, all of which are even more impressive after a couple of glasses of vintage South African wine. Also not to be forgotten is the flourishing Cape Point National Park, the imposing Table Mountain, the historic Robben Island and the pristine white sand beaches. There is, in fact, so many Cape Town attractions that it’s impossible to see them all in one trip, so check out JF’s guide to the Cape Town attractions you shouldn’t leave without seeing.
Table Mountain
Table Mountain National Park, Tel: +27 (0)21 424 8181, opening times: 8am – 6.30pm, price of cable car: R160 for adults, R80 for children
Cape Town’s Table Mountain is a symbol of South Africa and the most popular tourist attraction in the city. Get a revolving cable car to the top and enjoy spectacular views of Cape Town from 1,067 feet. Once at the summit, you are free to roam about and follow the paths to different look-out points. There are also telescopes and even a restaurant serving cocktails to enjoy with the fabulous sunset.
Robben Island
Tickets available at Nelson Mandella Gateway, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, Tel: +27 21 413 4220/1, Email: infow@robben-island.org.za.Ferries depart every three hours from 9am to 3pm.
Robben Island is famous for being the place where the former South African president Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. The prison is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and provides great views of the bay and Table Mountain. Robben Island tours can be booked in advance from the Clock Tower complex at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town city centre. Excursions to Robben Island include a ferry trip there and back and a tour of the prison by a former prisoner.
Beaches
The beaches in Cape Town are renowned as some of the best in the world and remain one of the city’s biggest attractions. False Bay is home to some of the best family beaches with its calm and shallow seas, and the trendy Altantic Seaboard and Clifton beaches are where you will find the best spots for water sports and simply looking hot. Check out JF’s guide to Cape Town beaches for the full rundown.
Kirstenbosch Gardens
Rhodes Drive, Cape Town 7700, Tel: 021 799 8899, opening times: 8am – 7pm (September -March) and 8am – 6pm (April – August). Entrance fee: R30 for adults, R20 for SA students and R5 for children (ages 6-18). Children under six go free.
Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town, consists of 36 hectares of cultivated gardens that showcase South Africa’s indigenous plants and celebrate its colourful flora. Well-laid pathways run between babbling streams and lush lawns and there is a huge variety of birds which flit about the gardens. Kirstenbosch Gardens are perfect for a picnic or an afternoon stroll, but with more than 500 hectares of wild land as well, you can also get serious and do some hiking here.
Cape Point and Table Mountain National Park
From Signal Hill to Cape Point, Tel.: +27(0) 21 701 8692 or +27(0) 21 780 9204, Opening times: 8am – 5pm, Entrance fee: R55 for adults, R10 for students.
Cape Point lies within the Table Mountain National Park at the very tip of the Cape Peninsula. The park stretches from Table Mountain in the north to Cape Point in the south, where the towering cliffs above the spot where the Beguela and Agulhus currents merge are some of the highest in the world. Over 250 bird species live inside the park along with Cape Mountain zebra, bucks and baboons. Many of the indigenous species that grow here cannot be found anywhere else in the world and the park is a great place for driving and hiking.
Boulders Penguin Colony
Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town, Table Mountain National Park, Tel: +27(0) 21 786 2329, Opening Times: 8am – 5pm, Entrance fee: R15 for adults and R5 for students
Boulders Penguin Colony is where you will find an increasingly sizable colony of African Penguins, a species in danger of extinction. The entertaining birds can be viewed in their natural habitat from wooden walkways and Boulders Beach is also a nice spot for swimming when you are done.
The Castle of Good Hope
Darling and Buitenkant Streets, Cape Town, 8001, Tel: +27 21 787 1260,Email: casteel@mweb.co.za, Opening times: 9am – 4pm, Entrance fee: R25 for adults, R15 for senior SA citizens, R5 fr children (ages 5-16)
The Castle of Good Hope was built between 1666 and 1679 and is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. The pentagonal castle is extremely well preserved and boasts an interesting history dating from 1652 and the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck. There are also dungeons and a dolphin pool that can be explored on guided tours and the Change of Guards takes place at 12-noon on weekdays.
V&A Waterfront
Tel: +27 (0)21 408 7600, Opening times: daily from 9am – 9pm
Cape Town’s Victoria and Albert Waterfront is a great hive of activity and as popular with locals as it is with tourists. The working harbour is home to some striking architecture and there are over 250 boutique, designer and craft stalls here. There is also an abundance of chic coffee shops and restaurants and a few attractions to keep the kids quiet, such as the Telkon Exploratorium and the shark-infested Two Oceans Aquarium. Nautical types can take a sunset cruise from the harbour or check out the displays at the South African Maritum Museum. See JF’s guide to Cape Town shopping for more information.
The World of Birds
Valley Road Hout Bay 7806,Tel: 021 790 2730, Email: info@worldofbirds.org.za, Opening times: 9am – 5pm, Entrance fee: R65 for adults, R39 for children and R50 for students and prensioners
Cape Town’s World of Birds wildlife sanctuary is home to more than 3,000 birds and can be found in Hout Bay. If you’re fond of our feathered friends, you can walk around the aviaries and have close-up encounters with the birds in their natural surroundings. Everything from eagles to owls can be seen here, along with the occasional meerkat or monkey.
Township tours
Book through the Town Tourism Centre, Tel: 021 405 4500 or a private company
Cape Town’s surrounding townships do not share the wealth and glitz of the city centre but offer a valuable and eye-opening peek into how most Captonians actually live. Despite the poor conditions, you will find a real warmth of spirit among the people in here and truly interested visitors are always made welcome. Be sure to take a tour of Khayelitsha, which is one of the largest townships in the country, as well as Langa, which is the oldest. On a Cape Town township tour you will most likely be joined by a resident who will show you the various community projects, the local industry and often their favourite bar.
Cape Winelands
Book through the Town Tourism Centre, Tel: 021 405 4500, or a private company
Wine-tasting tours in Cape Town are very popular as there are copious amounts of wine estates in Caoe Town. The regions of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are perfectly placed for such boozy antics and offer stunning mountain scenery alongside glasses of the good stuff. There are also some great restaurants in this area, and at just a 45-minute drive from Cape Town city centre, it would be a shame to miss this off your trip. If you are hiring a car in Cape Town, however, it may be a good idea to book yourself into one of the nice hotels for a couple of nights before you go wine tasting in Cape Town.
