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The City
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You cannot help but be impressed by the splendour of Cape Town’s location, with the cloud-capped crag of Table Mountain overlooking the skyscrapers and historic buildings of the compact city centre.
For many visitors, the cable-car trip to the top and the view from the summit is the high point of a Cape Town holiday. For others, the focal point of the city is the V&A Waterfront, a rejuvenated area of docklands that is now home to some of Cape Town’s best hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping. Here you can see families of seals sunbathe within a few feet of smart café terraces.
The city rises from the waterfront to the slopes of Table Mountain, with posh residential suburbs — including the ultra-exclusive enclave of Constantia — overlooking the downtown area.
Cape Town has much more to offer than city life. There are excellent beaches just a short distance from the city centre, at spots such as Clifton, Camps Bay and Hout Bay south of the centre and Milnerton and Sunset Beach to the north.
Only a short distance to the south lie the wilds of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve — home to a range of wildlife — culminating in the dramatic scenery of Cape Point. Meanwhile, just a short drive from the city and its airport lie the lush vineyards and pretty colonial-era towns of the Winelands region, where some of South Africa’s finest vintages are produced.
Cape Town also has a mellow climate that makes it attractive all year, with plenty of sunshine during the winter months making it particularly attractive to visitors from the Northern Hemisphere.
For many visitors, the cable-car trip to the top and the view from the summit is the high point of a Cape Town holiday. For others, the focal point of the city is the V&A Waterfront, a rejuvenated area of docklands that is now home to some of Cape Town’s best hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping. Here you can see families of seals sunbathe within a few feet of smart café terraces.
The city rises from the waterfront to the slopes of Table Mountain, with posh residential suburbs — including the ultra-exclusive enclave of Constantia — overlooking the downtown area.
Cape Town has much more to offer than city life. There are excellent beaches just a short distance from the city centre, at spots such as Clifton, Camps Bay and Hout Bay south of the centre and Milnerton and Sunset Beach to the north.
Only a short distance to the south lie the wilds of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve — home to a range of wildlife — culminating in the dramatic scenery of Cape Point. Meanwhile, just a short drive from the city and its airport lie the lush vineyards and pretty colonial-era towns of the Winelands region, where some of South Africa’s finest vintages are produced.
Cape Town also has a mellow climate that makes it attractive all year, with plenty of sunshine during the winter months making it particularly attractive to visitors from the Northern Hemisphere.