Best Places to Visit In and Around Cape Town

Cape Town is one of those places on the planet where you go on vacation and want to stay a lifetime. You probably haven't seen a city more beautiful in the world than the "Mother City" (locals call it that because this is the first time Europeans have set foot in South Africa).

And it's not just the city, there are also the many beautiful places around to visit: stunning beaches, Table Mountain, the national park, the Cape of Good Hope, or the penguin colony. Let's explore each of them below:

Cape Town

Take a panoramic tour of the Mother City and stop to see the Castle of Good Hope, the famous Cape Malay district (Bo-Kaap) with its multicolored house facades and cobbled streets, the South African History Museum and City Hall.

Cape Town is today an amalgam of cultures, reflecting the colonial architectural styles Edwardian, Victorian and Cape Dutch, but also retaining elements taken from the indigenous tribes.

Cape of Good Hope

Reach the Cape of Good Hope, which is part of the universal heritage and marks the southernmost point of the Cape Peninsula. You will see here the lighthouse built with the purpose of warning sailors that they are approaching Cabo das Tormentas - "Cape of Storms".

Cape Point

The Cape Point Funicular will take you to the lighthouse located at an altitude of 249 meters above sea level. Cape Point is part of the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which amazes with its biodiversity and spectacular landscapes. The air here is one of the purest in the world, coming from Antarctica.

Boulders Beach

Don't miss out at Boulders Beach to take a closer look at the colony of about 2.000 Magellanic penguins, the only penguins in Africa.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is located on the eastern slope of the Table Massif, the first botanical garden included in the universal heritage. Few gardens in the world compete with the grandeur of these places. You will notice plant species from the local flora, but also from various other regions of South Africa.

There are over 7.000 cultivated species here, many of which are extremely rare or endangered.

Table Mountain

Take the cable car to Table Mountain (weather permitting), where you can enjoy the spectacular view of the city and the ocean alike: Waterfront Promenade and Camps Bay.

Table Mountain is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and attracts millions of visitors annually.