Nestled on a peninsula beneath the imposing, flat-topped Table Mountain, Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest city and the seat of parliament. Established in 1652, this port city on the country’s southwest coast offers numerous attractions, including Robben Island, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, V&A Waterfront, Cape Point, Constantia winelands and annual Minstrel Carnival.
Throw in some world-class cuisine, shark-cage diving and cable car rides, and you’ll understand why Cape Town was voted Best Worldwide City for the eighth year running in 2023.
Robben Island
Located in Table Bay, some 11km from Cape Town, Robben Island is a must-see attraction for visitors. The island was mainly used for incarceration of political prisoners from the end of the 17th century. In 1999, UNESCO declared the island a World Heritage Site for “its importance to South Africa’s political history”. The maximum security prison on Robben Island held numerous political prisoners during the apartheid era, including Nelson Mandela, Kgalema Mothlanthe and Jacob Zuma, each of whom went on to be elected as president of South Africa after the country became a democracy.
A tour of Robben Island takes about 3.5 hours, starting with a ferry ride from Cape Town’s Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Visitors are treated to a guided tour of historical sites on the island, including the graveyard, army and navy bunkers and Mandela’s cell.
Table Mountain
Table Mountain rises over 1085 metres above sea level to form a majestic backdrop to the city of Cape Town. Visitors can take a five-minute cable car ride to the summit where they are rewarded with panoramic views of the city, Table Bay and the Atlantic Seaboard. The cableway first opened in 1929. It was extensively refurbished in 1997 and carries about 1 million passengers per year.
Table Mountain also offers some challenging hiking trails for the more adventurous.
