The ‘Mother City’, Cape Town is the country’s most liked metropolis – and it is very easy to see why. Its temperate, Mediterranean-style local climate is enjoyable in the extreme and with old Georgian architectural structures, smart restaurants, leafy piazzas and lots of cultural exuberance, the entire urban centre is a feat for the senses.
At the heart of Cape Town and permanent backdrop is Table Mountain, the flat-topped city symbol that is as outstanding in the rain as in the sunshine. Start here with a six minute cable-car journey up the mountain and you’ll right away get your bearings.
The metropolis is flanked on both sides by beaches with the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and the clear Atlantic lapping the long beaches that have made Capetonians a metropolis of beach-lovers. To the south-west and a half day tour away is the Cape of Good Hope; below is Robben Island, former prison home to Nelson Mandela and one more must-see destination.
The South Africa Museum, St George’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament are key sights in the old town, together with the well-known Green Market and landmark hotel the Mount Nelson. When the sun goes down the action moves to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, where eating places, night clubs and shops line a harbour busy with yachts and fishing vessels.
Immediately after a couple of days in the metropolis, head north-east over the mountains to the vineyards and Dutch-style homesteads of the South African winelands. At is heart, just 18 miles out of The Mother City, is Stellenbosch additionally renowned for its university and ample colonial-era architecture.
Several wineries here and in local Franschoek are happy to receive visitors for trips and tastings. A rising number have wonderful eating places and hotel accommodation, too, and a few days sampling the Winelands has become a must for people to Cape Town and the Western Cape province.
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