Lying snug in the immense arms of Table Mountain, Cape Town’s city bowl is amazingly aptly named. The heart of Cape Town is enfolded neatly between the harbour and the mountain, virtually in the shape of a bowl. With nowhere else to move and stretch its boundaries, the city bowl is a self-contained entity, almost like a martini before it’s poured, all shook up and tingling with taste.

The city bowl holds some of the most interesting and historically significant neighbourhoods and the likes of the Bo Kaap, Oranjezicht, Tamboerskloof and Gardens provide hours of easy meanderings, restaurants and historical sights. The city centre lies encircled by these suburbs that, the closer one gets to the mountain, the steeper they become, so that Higgovale and Oranjezicht lie right up on the slopes of Table Mountain.

Other than soak up the vibe, which is typically Cape Town's, there’s plenty to do in the heart of city bowl. Taking the obligatory ride up the cable car to Table Mountain’s top is well worth the effort, although waiting for a clear day with no sign of the tablecloth is a safer option.

Lion’s Head, the conical shaped mountain next to the table top is another mountain worth scaling, particularly on nights of full moon. The 1.5 hour walk to the top is best timed so that the summit is reached as the moon takes to the sky.

Head over the gap known as Kloof Nek between Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and you descend into Camps Bay, just one of the popular Atlantic Seaboard beaches that continue to Llandudno and Hout Bay. Or venture round the western corner of the bowl to the popular De Waterkant, Green Point and Sea Point .

Constantia Valley, Cape Town 

The Constantia Winelands 

One of the most beautiful valleys in the Cape, the Constantia Valley, is an abundant array of forests, hills, stately historical homes and vineyards  a heady mix of old and new that lies nestled in the shadow of the Constantia Mountain, just outside of the city centre.

The valley of the vines as it is known due to the splendour of one of the Cape’s original wine routes, which today is one of the only wine appellation areas less than 20 minutes from a city centre, is an effortless green lung of the southern suburbs. Its northern boundaries lie against Kirstenbosch and Wynberg Park, whilst the Tokai Forest lies to the south of the valley imbuing it with a rich lushness even in summer.
Groot Constantia, Steenberg (recently acquired by Graham Beck), Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachtung and Constantia Uitsig are five worldclass vineyards that lie along the Constantia Wine Route the route lined with huge, old trees that immediately add a sense of entering a past dimension.Constantia valley still boasts farm land, smallholdings and little farms against the mountain, despite the increase in the area’s population growth, and catching a glimpse of riders on horseback, in a very similar vein to more outlying areas of Cape Town like Noordhoek, is common.
Despite this proximity to open land and a sense of being outside of the city, the Constantia Valley is anything but in slumber. Restaurants and outdoor venues abound Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in particular is a beautiful and popular venue for locals and visitors alike there are local malls, and the False Bay beaches such as Muizenberg, St James and Fish Hoek are all easily accessible from the valley.

Cape Helderberg, Cape Town

Beach at Gordons Bay, Cape Helderberg 

The Cape Helderberg, or Helderberg basin, is one of the most visually dramatic areas in the Cape, with the Hottentots Holland and Helderberg Mountain ranges creating a powerful backdrop against which the valley descends into vineyards and finally on to a coastline swept with warm waters and effortlessly white, sandy beaches.

This is the land of the Helderberg and Stellenbosch wine routes and home to the towns of Gordon’s Bay, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Somerset West, Strand, Lwandle and Macassar. 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, the land that originally belonged to the Strandlopers has become a playground for visitors and locals ...

Gordon’s Bay is an invitation for windsurfing, surfing and braaing  it has one of the few braai areas on the Helderberg coast - and the walk along the harbour wall to take in the yachts and boats as they leave and enter the protected marina, is a must. If it’s swimming, sunbathing and a stroll on the beach you’re after, then Melkbaai, Strand’s Bikini beach and Main beach are good options; and avid surfers head out to Kogelbay, if Gordon’s Bay is too busy.

The Helderberg Wine Route, a subsidiary of the Stellenbosch Wine Route, has a distinct personality and wines produced here are heavily influenced by cool sea breezes and ideal soil conditions. Vineyards line the slopes of the Helderberg, sharing both a mountain and maritime climate that has resulted in world class examples of wine on a route that ranges from a 300-year old historical manor to art boutique wineries. Overlooking False Bay, the Helderberg Nature Reserve offers picnic spots, hiking trails and a number of Bontebok, squirrels and the occasional tortoise.

Southern Suburbs, Cape Town

The group of suburbs lying south east of the City Bowl and Table Mountain in Cape Town are collectively known as the ‘southern suburbs’. Observatory (known as Obs), Mowbray, Rosebank, Rondebosch, Pinelands, Claremont, Kenilworth, Newlands, Bishopscourt, and Wynberg are also more established and sought after than their northern counterparts; although property right at the coast on the Atlantic Seaboard is still amongst the most exclusive in Cape Town.For the most part, the Southern Suburbs lie at the base of Table Mountain National Park, a mountainous backbone that stretches all the way from Signal Hill to Cape Point, creating an impressive backdrop that infuses the southern suburbs with a natural leafiness, in most part due to the frequent blanket of clouds that tend to hang over the mountains, and relative shelter from the wind.
The southern suburbs are predominantly residential, and most of them incredibly pretty with a variety of older-style homes that range from cottage-style semis in Mowbray, Claremont and Wynberg, to more ornate and certainly far larger homes in Constantia, Newlands and Bishopscourt .Extensive gardens, pretty shopping areas like Cavendish Street from the Vineyard Road corner in Claremont, and Wynberg village; the cosmopolitan high street of Observatory, and attractions like Kirstenbosch, Mostert’s Mill in Mowbray, the Baxter Theatre in Rosebank and the Irma Stern Museum, make this part of Cape Town rather attractive.It is also the home of the University of Cape Town, which lies on the mountain above Rosebank, Rondebosh, Mowbray and Obs. As a result these parts are often a good place in which to party when the budget is tight, and there are many student digs and a lively street atmosphere.

For those who visit this effortless coast that stretches in a glorious arc all the way from Hangklip, close to Pringle Bay, through to Cape Point on the peninsula, there are unlimited opportunities for safe swimming and dramatic beauty that incorporates white, sandy beaches, beautiful valleys and sweeping vistas. For many, the False Bay coastline is preferable to the trendier Atlantic - the waters of the Indian Ocean are warmer for one, and less inundated by sun worshipping wannabees.

False Bay, named such because early navigators mistook Hangklip for Cape Point, is the largest true bay in South Africa and one of the great bays of the world. It is no surprise to learn that the distance across False Bay 33 kilometres from Rooiels to Miller’s Point remains a rather daunting prospect for even the most primed marathon swimmers  it has eluded almost 90% of those who have tried  and has been attempted 20 times with only three successes.The False Bay coast is a continuous collection of seaside villages and hamlets, their narrow avenues lined with quirky and quaint shops, hotels, restaurants and pubs. Implicit in the diversity is the promise of myriad picnic spots and lookout spots, particularly during the whale season when whales enter the bay to calve.

Some of the most popular of these in and around Cape Town include Muizenberg - popular amongst surfers and swimmers alike Kalk Bay  a little character fishing village, with a vibrant day and night life  and Simon’s Town  the historical naval village. The wide stretches of beaches central to the bay  Monwabisi, Macassar and Mnandi  are favoured for fishing, whilst the villages of Rooiels, Hanglip and Pringle Bay all offer cosy getaways.

Cape Town Beaches, Western Cape

Llandudno Beach on the Atlantic Ocean Coast

Robben Island, Cape Town

Cape Town from Robben Island 

Bartholomeu Dias, the Portuguese seafarer, was the first to sail around the Cape. This was in 1488. On his return voyage, which must have been particularly stormy, Dias stopped at the south-western tip of South Africa, and named it Cabo Tormentoso, or Cape of Storms. King John of Portugal later gave it the name Cabo da Boa Esperança, or Cape of Good Hope. Another Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, rounded the Cape on 22 November 1497 on his way to India.The journeys of these explorers led to the establishment of the Cape sea route. This meant more regular sailings around the tip. It also indirectly to led to a number of casualties along these unpredictable shores. Today, shipwrecks and stone crosses bear testimony to the treacherous and challenging historic sea route.
Lighthouses

The lighthouse at Cape Point is the most powerful on the South African coast. It has a range of 63 kilometres, and beams out a group of three flashes of 10 million candlepower each, every 30 seconds. But, through history, mariners had taken a rather dimmer view of warning beacons around the Point.

A lighthouse was built In 1857, on Cape Point Peak, 238 metres above sea level. The equipment for the lighthouse had been shipped from England. However, because of its high position, clouds and fog often obscured the lighthouse. In fact, for an alarming 900 hours per year on average, its light was invisible to ships at sea at a certain angle.After the Portuguese liner Lusitania ran aground on 18 April 1911, the lighthouse was moved to its present location above Cape Point, only 87 metres above sea-level. A stone replica of Vasco Da Gama's cross which was planted there in 1487 stands tall on the hillside above the beach. It marks the spot where the Portuguese explorers had come ashore.
Shipwrecks:

The Old Cape Point Lighthouse was put to rest in peace when the Portuguese liner, the Lusitania, crashed under its guidance to rest in many pieces on the ocean floor. Thus the Old Cape Point Lighthouse was replaced with the new, improved and ocean fresh beacon of light imaginatively named the New Cape Point Lighthouse. No longer fronting an unfriendly sign, but regretfully still no tea or basic nursing facilities volunteered in the event of an illegal tumble.

Standing on the highest section of the peak the original lighthouse stands 87 meters above its replacement. Now used as an outlook point and central monitoring point for all South African Lighthouses. This iron tower was built in 1857 and shone from its perch on Cape Maclear from 1860 until 1919 when it passed its candle onto the new lighthouse. The original lighthouse comprised of sixteen metallic reflectors which flashed a white light (2000 candle power) lasting twelve seconds every minute. In contrast the new Cape Point Lighthouse is the most powerful light on the South African coastline visible from a distance of thirty four nautical sea miles it emits a revolving light power of 10 000 000 Candelas.
The height of the focal plane is 87 metres above the high water mark with a group flashing light character 3 flashes every 30 seconds. This masonry tower nine square meters took six years to build along the steepest sea cliffs of the Cape of Storms. Stand at the site of history and wave forward to the present protector down below.

Chapman’s Peak stands imposingly at the heart of Chapman’s Peak Drive, connecting Hout Bay with Noordhoek along one of the most dramatic marine routes in the world that hugs the coast of the Atlantic Seaboard for nine kilometres. Chapmans Peak Drive climbs steadily from the harbour of Hout Bay, skirting 114 curves of Chapman’s Peak to follow the rocky coastline along some truly magnificent views of the sandy bays below. The combination of steep, almost thrilling rocky inclines, shimmering blue waters and expansive skies simply take the breath away and to compensate for this, there are a number of rest areas en route where one can simply stop and drink in the views or picnic. Despite this invitation to take it slowly, the toll road also serves as a ‘shortcut’ for people living in Hout Bay wanting to reach the Southern Suburbs or Cape Town, by saving up to 20 minutes during peak traffic hours.

The road’s closure, due to a fatal rock fall in late 1999, for just short of three years, severely impacted on these residents’ productivity as it did on South Africa’s economy, denying visitors to the country some of the best scenery on the Cape Peninsula. Nonetheless, the upgrading of Chapman’s Peak Drive has gone on to win international acclaim as one of the most innovative road engineering projects, beating another eight international projects to win the 2004 civil engineering award for road design.Chapman’s Peak Drive also offers superb hiking experiences up the peak, through Silvermine Nature Reserve and Cape Peninsula National Park and some unlikely whale watching spots. At the other end of the drive lies the village of Noordhoek and the neighbouring suburbs of Kommetjie, Scarborough and Fish Hoek.

Pincushion at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants. The Kirstenbosch estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse fynbos flora and natural forest. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter rainfall region of the country. The Kirstenbosch Visitors' Centre includes an information desk and various retail outlets and a coffee shop. The Centre for Home Gardening has outlets for plants and other services to support the home garden. On Sundays during the summer months from December to March, musical sunset concerts are held on the lawns at Kirstenbosch. Craft markets are also held at the Stone Cottages opposite Kirstenbosch on the last Sunday of every month except June, July and August.

Waterfront, Cape Town

One of Cape Town's biggest tourist attractions, the Waterfront evokes images of the early activities of the harbour. Much of its charm lies in the fact that this busy commercial harbour is set in the midst of a huge entertainment venue with pubs, restaurants, specialty shops, craft markets, theatres and movies. Situated between Robben Island and Table Mountain in the heart of Cape Town's working harbour, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has become South Africa's most visited destination.

Set against a backdrop of magnificent sea and mountain views, exciting shopping and entertainment venues are intermingled with imaginative office locations, world-class hotels and luxury apartments in the residential marina. We invite you to discover the experience... live, work, shop and play at the V&A Waterfront.

Seal-watching is an amusing diversion. Visitors to the Two Oceans Aquarium will enjoy a fascinating underwater world. The Maritime Museum focuses on the history of shipping from prehistoric times to the present day. Boat trips around the harbour and along the coast are always popular. Helicopter flips provide a broader perspective. The Information Centre provides maps and information on special events planned for the day.
Waterfront, Cape Town

Waterfront Heritage Route:

Calls for greater public access and a wider use of Cape Town's historic harbour started in the early 1970's. In 1988, the then landowner State-owned transport corporation, Transnet Limited established a wholly owned subsidiary company, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (Pty) Limited, to redevelop the historic docklands. This was received with large-scale public acclaim.

Since its origins in 1860, the Port of Cape Town has been the scene of excavations, reclamations, harbour construction programmes and land based developments. By the time Prince Alfred* tipped the first load of stone into the sea to initiate construction of Cape Town's harbour, the trade routes to the East had transformed the city into a hive of seafront activity.

The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa meant that the first section of harbour, the Alfred Basin, had to be added to and the Victoria Basin was built. Prince Alfred was Queen Victoria's second son.The construction of the two harbour basins took place between 1860 and 1920, and the area is notable for its outstanding heritage buildings. It retains the charm of Victorian industrial architecture and the scale of a harbour built for sail and the early days of steam travel. In the 1970s, containerisation had developed worldwide as the major method of cargo handling and transportation. It was this, together with South Africa's economic isolation at the time and the reopening of the Suez Canal, that led to a sharp reduction in the utilisation of land and harbour facilities surrounding the Victoria & Alfred Basins. At the time, Transnet was in the process of rationalising harbour facilities and reviewing its harbour and other land holdings with particular emphasis on the returns being generated by these assets.Waterfront, Cape Town Over the past 140 years, the harbour has undergone numerous changes.

 

The Dragon Tree (dracaeno draco) planted next to the Time Ball Tower is a species originally from the Canary Islands. Well over 100 years old, this is one of the largest of its type in Cape Town. Believed to have been planted by a sailor passing through Cape Town, the sap of these trees was once popular as a medicine to treat dysentery and diarrhea. Unfortunately, the Dragon Tree was severely damaged in storms of 2001.The Clock Tower:Situated near the site of the original Bertie's Landing Restaurant, the Victorian Gothic-style Clock Tower has always been an icon of the old docks and has become an important focal point in the Waterfront's recent urban design.

This was the original Port Captain's Office completed in 1882. On the second floor is a decorative mirror room, which enabled the Port Captain to have a view of all activities in the harbour. On the bottom floor is a tide-gauge mechanism used to check the level of the tide. Restoration of the Clock Tower was completed towards the end of 1997.   

Time Ball Tower:

 

The Time Ball invented by Captain Robert Wauchope is a signaling device in which a ball is dropped at a given time in order for ships' masters to determine the error and rate of their chronometers whilst in harbour. The Time Ball Tower in the Waterfront was built in 1894 and is situated next the Harbour Engineer's former residence Dock House. It remained in use for 40 years after which new technology led to it lying idle for 63 years before being restored and officially recommissioned in November 1997.