Cape Town has to be experienced to be believed. With so much to do and see, it is difficult fitting a never-ending itinerary into a few days. When you have friends or relatives visit from overseas, make sure to introduce the magic of The Mother City by taking them to these must-see attractions:
- V&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront makes it to the top of the list when it comes to exploring Cape Town. You’ll find countless stores and eateries, as well as cinemas, canal trips, sunset cruises, and live shows at the amphitheatre. Take the kids to family attractions like the Two Oceans Aquarium and The Scratch Patch, browse the tasty treats on offer at V&A Market on the Wharf, and take a boat trip around the harbour or out to Robben Island. Treat your friends to a good time at Shimmy Beach Club where you can feel like royalty, relax around the infinity pool, and sip on cocktails on the private beach.
- Camps Bay
Camps Bay is one of Cape Town’s most affluent suburbs, characterised by towering palm trees, beautiful bronzed bodies, turquoise ocean waters, and magnificent mountain views. Bustling coffee shops, bars, and restaurants line the beach road, filled with Cape Town’s elite and, quite often, international big cats. We recommend sinking your toes into the splash pool at The Bungalow and sipping on cocktails in the sun, picnicking at dusk on Camps Bay beach, enjoying Italian food at Col’Cacchio, or catching dinner and a show at Theatre on the Bay.
- Table Mountain at sunset
Table Mountain is beautiful to visit at any time, but there is something magical just before the sun goes down that makes the top of Table Mountain feel like the only place on earth. It’s best visited during summer when it’s warm and you can take advantage of the half-price sunset special between December and February. Get to the summit early and enjoy a glass of wine as you watch Cape Town slowly flicker to life below you.
- Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens offers a mix of activities to suit all interests. Spend the day exploring the gardens, filled to the brim with immaculately kept flora, picnic and play on the lawns, have tea in one of the restaurants, sing along to a summer sunset concert, stroll along the aerial walkway, or munch popcorn at the Galileo Open Air Cinema.
- Mzoli’s Place
Show your friends a good time with an evening at Mzoli’s Place in Gugulethu. You’re sure to have a proper South African party here where table manners, knives and forks, and reserved seating are swapped for beer, braais, live music, and socialising with the locals. As Mzoli’s is a butchery, you can pick up meat on site and take it to the kitchen to be braaied. Mzoli’s is a BYOB location (so bring your own booze!)
- Kalk Bay
The little seaside hamlet of Kalk Bay exudes Cape Town charm in all its glory. Stroll along the cobbled streets past bookstores, boutiques, second hand shops, ice cream parlours, bakeries, and bohemian hangouts. Here, the sound of the crashing ocean blends with happily chatting shoppers, the pitter patter of passing joggers, and the grunt of transient trains. Head down for some Wednesday night karaoke at The Brass Bell, grab some freshly caught fish and chips directly from the fishermen at the harbour, take a stroll along the pier, munch on delicious pizza at Olympia Café, or duck involuntarily at Polana as the waves crash against the restaurant windows. Check out the best activities in Kalk Bay.
- Boulders Beach & Penguin Colony
Boulder’s Beach in Simon’s Town consists of 3 beaches with meandering elevated boardwalks offering exquisite views of the beaches and the African penguins that call them home. Black and white tuxedoed birds frolic with swimmers and sunbathers and add comical relief for beach goers. Please note that while the penguins looks cute and cuddly, they are prone to biting.
- Long Street
You haven’t experienced Cape Town until you’ve experienced Long Street! During daylight hours, you can pick up clothing from the boutiques dotting the street, barter for wares at Greenmarket Square, soak your tired muscles in the Turkish Baths, or people-watch from a quirky coffee shop. When darkness descends, Long Street awakens to release an energy that is hard to ignore. There are plenty of lounges, night clubs, and pool bars, as well as restaurants like The Clay Oven open until all hours of the night. Don’t forget to have a Guinness at The Dubliner, Cape Town’s Irish pub offering live music every night of the week!
- Cape Point Nature Reserve
The Cape Point Nature Reserve is the South-Western most tip of Africa and the assumed meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. There are exceptional viewpoints, unspoilt beaches, restaurants, and curio stores to explore. Don’t miss the Two Oceans Restaurant, monuments of Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias, Buffels Bay tidal pools, the Shipwreck Trail, and the old lighthouse which you can access by foot or the Flying Dutchman funicular. Visiting on a calm day is recommended, as the wind can make your outing quite unpleasant.
- Muizenberg’s Surfer’s Corner
Muizenberg exudes a laidback fishing-and-surfing-village atmosphere. Surfing lessons are available for young and old, and surf boards and wetsuits can be rented from the surf shops in Surfer’s Corner. Shark flags indicate when the water is shark free. If you’re not into surfing, you can relax on the beach, treat yourself at Sinnfull Ice Cream, or take a stroll down to the Pavilion where super tubes, swimming pools, and putt putt courses await young and old. The beach promenade is fantastic for after-work jogs.
Find a place to stay in Cape Town near these attractions. What other places do you recommend taking visitors to in Cape Town?
Main image by The Fairways (TG)
