ABOUT CAPE TOWN

A picture of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town

Dominated by its immense flat-topped mountain, Cape Town sits at the convergence of two of the world’s great oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic

Dubbed the Tavern of the Seas, Cape Town has been a welcome sight for sailors ever since man took to wandering the oceans in search of new lands, new trade and ever greater riches. Today it still remains a major hub in terms of world trade, but for decades it has also been a vital stop in the ocean racing world. Apart from a brief hiccup when politics superseded sport, Cape Town has always featured in the Volvo Ocean Race and its predecessor the Whitbread. As a vital point to replenish supplies, fix the boat and fix the crew after the Atlantic and before the Indian and Southern Oceans they don’t come any better.

Aside from the looming mountain – always worth a visit via the cable car or, for the more hardy, via a breath-busting foot trail – the overarching impression of Cape Town is one of greenery. Huge trees, tropical gardens that encroach deep into the city, flowers in pots and baskets, everywhere the countryside infiltrates city boundaries.

Development is on every hand in this bustling town. Roads, flyovers, offices, houses; everywhere the eye lands there is new building. On the road from the airport where townships of ragged huts and shanties were once sprawled, new brick houses are springing up in neat rows, gardens, vegetable plots and schools showing the optimism of the Cape.

View of Table Mountain from a Robben Island ferry

Shopping in Cape Town has been honed into an art form more than a pastime

A cycle tour through the streets of Cape Town

Two people walking on the beach in Cape Town at sunset

Overlooking Cape Town from the top of a mountain

A rainbow city in the Rainbow Country, Cape Town offers every experience to the visitor; from ancient pre-history, through the turbulent politics of the nation – make a point to visit Robben Island - to modern urban life: shopping, eating, entertainment, more shopping - Cape Town has it all.

Shopping in Cape Town has been honed into an art form more than a pastime or an essential activity. City planners have made it as easy as possible for you to part with your money, though great value is on offer both in the malls and in the markets.

Close to the Volvo Ocean Race village, visit Victoria Wharf at the V&A Waterfront complex – a good place for eating too, everything from fast food to super gourmet delights, but don’t forget to sample the local fish and chips - or Cavendish Square in the leafy Southern Suburbs.

The city centre is alive with informal markets and pavement traders

Cape Town is famous for its antiques - from art nouveau jewellery to rare books and precious objects - which can be ferreted out in the stalls along Church Street, or behind the aged shop fronts of the Victorian buildings lining Long Street and its environs. A block or two further on, the dazzling colours, textures, smells and sounds of Greenmarket Square, the city's favourite flea market, ensnare all who have saved enough energy and money to get this far.

If it is local curios you are after, Cape Town’s city centre is alive with informal markets and pavement traders, selling a vast array of bargain items, original curios and collectables, clothes and food. The sound of djembe drumming or children singing often sneaks between the modern blocks, putting a human face on the stone and concrete.

Shopping in the city is essentially on foot, but if you don't have a car at your disposal, getting to any of the malls or larger centres is as easy as hopping onto a taxi, bus or train.

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