Cape Town, South Africa

    Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. Slowly rotating cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top, from which there are sweeping views of the city.

    Time in Cape Town:
    Cape Town
    21°
    Mostly Cloudy
    Feels like: 21°C
    Wind: 18km/h W
    Humidity: 70%
    Pressure: 1014.22mbar
    UV index: 7
    SatSunMon
    23/16°C
    26/16°C
    21/15°C
    Weather forecast Cape Town, South Africa ▸
    cape 1
    cape 2
    cape 3
    cape 4
    cape 1
    cape 2
    cape 3
    cape 4

    Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. Slowly rotating cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top, from which there are sweeping views of the city, the busy harbor and boats heading for Robben Island, the notorious prison that once held Nelson Mandela, which is now a living museum.

     

     

    Hikers’ paths crisscross the slopes and also climb the mountain, via forests and manicured lawns at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the lush wine-producing suburb of Constantia, and steep Platteklip Gorge. In town, the V&A Waterfront is a chic shopping and entertainment district that includes the Two Oceans Aquarium. Historic sites include the Dutch-built, 17th century Castle of Good Hope. City beaches

     

     

    range from ritzy Clifton to Boulders, where there’s a penguin colony. Popular out-of-town trips take in Chapman’s Peak Drive, with coastal views, and the Cape of Good Hope, where craggy cliffs meet the ocean.

     
    When to visit
    Most visitors arrive Dec–Apr, during the warm and dry summer months.
     
    • Winter (Jul–Aug) tends to be chilly and wet.
    • Local events include the Minstrel Carnival (Jan),
    • Gay Pride Parade (Feb),
    • International Jazz Festival (Apr),
    • Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts (Nov–Apr).