Discovering Cape Town
Cape Town (isiXhosa: iKapa, Afrikaans: Kaapstad) was founded in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck as a supply station for the Dutch East India Company, making it the oldest European settlement in South Africa. Today, the city is the second-largest metropolis in South Africa with around 4.7 million inhabitants in the greater area — and its undisputed tourist jewel.
What makes Cape Town so special is its dramatic geography: The 1,085-meter-high Table Mountain towers over the city, the Cape Peninsula stretches 75 km south to the Cape of Good Hope, and two oceans — the cold Atlantic in the west and the warmer Indian Ocean in the east — create a unique microclimate.
Plan at least 4–5 days for Cape Town and its surroundings. If combined with the Winelands, a full week quickly fills up.
Orientation
Cape Town is sprawling, but the tourist highlights are concentrated in a few areas:
- City Bowl: The city center in the "bowl" between Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Lion's Head, and Devil's Peak. Here: Long Street (nightlife), Company's Garden, Bo-Kaap, Greenmarket Square.
- V&A Waterfront: The extensively restored harbor with restaurants, shops, an aquarium, and departure to Robben Island. Cape Town's most visited spot.
- Atlantic Seaboard: The luxurious coast west of the city: Green Point, Sea Point (promenade!), Clifton (4 bays), Camps Bay (the beach with the Twelve Apostles in the background), Llandudno, Hout Bay.
- Cape Peninsula (South Peninsula): Simon's Town (penguins), Fish Hoek, Muizenberg (surfing, colorful beach huts), Kalk Bay (fishing village with antique shops).
- Cape Flats: The sprawling townships east of the city: Langa, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain. Here lives the majority of Cape Town's residents.
- Northern Suburbs: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl — the wine regions, 30–60 min east.
💡 Tipp
Cape Town is a car city. However, Uber and Bolt are excellent and cheaper than taxis. For the Cape Peninsula and the Winelands, you will need a rental car.
