Western Cape Province Travel Information & Attractions

Major attractions in the area:

Cape Town Metropolitan area:
The area between Table Mountain and Hottentots Holland comprises the Cape Town Metro pole and encompasses pulsating cosmopolitan city life, beach playgrounds, forests and exquisite nature parks.

Table Mountain
Cape Towns most famous landmark a quick spin by revolving cable car to the 1 086m summit will give the visitor a grand view of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and of course the equally famous South African [Alcatraz] Robben Island.

The Famous V & A Waterfront
The most visited attraction in Cape Town is the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront with its assortment of shopping, eating, entertainment and sightseeing facilities, all set within a working harbor.

Robben Island
The V & A Waterfront is also the gateway to Robben Island, a former prison (now national monument) where a visit is an emotional journey echoing with the sorrows of stalwarts of [the struggle] against apartheid. The island was [home] to many of South Africas freedom fighters including Nelson Mandela.

Cape Fortress
The oldest surviving building in South Africa, and well preserved too, is the Castle of Good Hope, the pentagonal fortress built by personnel of the Dutch East India Company back in the 1660s - 70s. Today it houses the regional headquarters of the South African Defense Force in the Western Cape, and a military museum.

Africas Most Southerly Point
Cape Agulhus is the most southern point of South Africa with spectacular views of the ocean. It is NOT this point where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Cape PointA stop at Cape Point gives the visitor the opportunity to boast of having been at the most southern point of the Cape Peninsula. Some 26 shipwrecks have been recorded at Cape Point, some of them presenting good diving spots. A funicular takes visitors on scenic trips to an old lighthouse and the spot is a bird watchers paradise.

Township Vibes
Township tours will remind the tourist how the will to survive can overcome any adversity. In Guguletu and Langa expect to be overwhelmed by hospitality, informal roadside traders, rowdy taverns serving local beer and toe-tapping jazz. Guided tours are recommended to get to most out of the experience.

Most Fabulous Beaches in the World
Theres a beach to suit every mood in Cape Town
Clifton for those who want to see and be seenSandy Bay for the nudistsMuizenberg with its colourful bathing boxes for a good swim in warm waterKommetjie for water sports Fishhoek is a quaint seaside villageHout Bay has a colourful fishing harbor and craft marketKalk Bay attracts antique huntersBoulders Beach at Simons Town is home to a colony of Jackass penguins.

Shopping Frenzy
Cape Town has many markets and impressive shopping centers and malls. One of the most talked about shopping venues is the impressive 400-outlet Canal Walk Century City. It also boasts a 20 theatre cinema complex and for adrenaline-pumping entertainment, theres Ratanga Junction, a 30 attraction theme park with and the glitzy Grand West Casino & Entertainment World.

Great Gardens of the World
A day in Cape Town might end with a classical concert at sundown in one of the worlds great botanical gardens Kirstenbosch, a repository for many rare fynbos species and a wealth of indigenous plants, trees and flowers.

Nightlife
Cape Town city centre is known to many as the party capital of Africa, down just a few streets in the Mother City there are hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs just waiting to be explored through to the wee hours of the morning. Cape Town is also known as a pink city, offering a warm welcome to the gay and lesbian community.