Cape It is one of the most important cities in South Africa and therefore one of its most popular tourist destinations. You can ride a cable car, a tram through green vineyards, go to the beach and see the Atlantic or go out to bars and museums.
We will see today what to do in Cape Town.
Cape Town, Cape Town
Before the construction of the Suez Canal in the mid-XNUMXth century, European ships traveling to Asia used to make a mandatory stop in Cape Town. At least the active merchant ships of the Netherlands East India Company. At that time the city was a supply station, and until the explosion of gold mining it was also the most important city in the region.
The Dutch were ousted from the city by the British at the end of the XNUMXth century and after internal conflicts with the boers the British Empire absolutely dominated the area. Over time the famous apartheid, the division of the country between whites and blacks, and that is why Ciudad del Xabo was the center of many protests against this dreadful separatism.
It is a large city, with several neighborhoods, poverty and crime. It is not a quiet city, like any city of considerable size, and with so many social differences, you have to be careful. The typical care of anyone who travels to a city they do not know.
Visit Cape Town
Cape It is the most famous city in South Africa and it is estimated that two million tourists visit it every year. It is a city where you can get around by taxi, bicycle, mini bus, bus or train.
The city has some problems with the water supply since the area is somewhat dry. It has had severe crises between 2017 and 2018 but measures have been taken and the problems seem to have been overcome. Anyway, locals and visitors are invited to be careful, take short showers, use alcohol gel instead of soap and water and that sort of thing. Still, it must be said that tap water is drinkable.
The city offers many possible visits but it all depends on how much time we have, so we will talk about what one cannot miss on a first trip to Cape Town. For example, climbing Table Mountain: Table Mountain. It is the symbolic mountain of the city, a flat-topped mountain within Table Mountain National Park. Since 2011 it is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
The plateau at the top is about two miles across and has steep cliffs and slopes. On one side is the Devil's Peak and on the other the Lion's Head. At its highest point is the MacLear Lighthouse, a simple mound of stones built in 1865 at 1086 meters of altitude. The flat top is usually decorated with clouds and is reached with the cable car. This means of transport dates from the 20s but has since been renovated.
The ride is smooth and takes you to the top in just five minutes. It works seven days a week and there is a ten to fifteen minute interval between each. Today, for example, the first service up the mountain is at 8 am and the last at 7 pm. The round trip ticket costs R360. per adult. Upstairs there is a cafeteria but you can go with your own picnic. The views are great.
Another visit that cannot be postponed is that of Robben Island and its museum. In the prison that was on this island he was imprisoned Nelson Mandela. The tour guide is an ex-convict, the visit includes a multimedia exhibition, a restaurant, a shop and great views of the island. It is a great experience and a master class on history and xenophobia. And besides, the ferry to the island is also a nice walk.
The tour is three and a half hours including the round trip to the island. Once on the island, visitors must take a bus that takes them to all the historical sites. The ferry operates from Monday to Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm and the reservation of the trip and the tour can be done online. The area from which the ferry departs is also worth a more in-depth visit. is aboutl Malecón V&A, one of the most visited sites on the continent with more than 24 million visits per year.
Is that It is the oldest operating port in the country and the postcard is completed with the profile of Table Mountain behind. There is more of 80 places to eat cuisine of all kinds, 12 hotels, 500 shops, five museums, a great aquarium, 22 heritage sites and lots of entertainment all year round.
Did you know South Africa makes wines? If you like this spirit drink and you are in Cape Town you can do eno-tourism going up to Franschhoel Wine Tram. It is a hop-on hop-of-style streetcar and is one of the best ways to know the vineyards from the Franschhoek Valley, with three centuries of winemaking tradition. The tram stops at all the vineyards to see activities, wander through wineries, and taste wines.
The tram has four services that combine tram and tram - bus: Blue Line, Red Line, Yeloww Line and Green Line. Each tour visits eight vineyards and shows a different aspect of the valley. There is another service, only tram - bus, the Purple Line, which only visits seven vineyards; and another, the Orange Line, which has a double-decker streetcar.
From the wines we went to the coast, the sea and the penguins. All of that is in the Boulders beach, between Simon's Town and Cape Point. The penguin colony is fantastic because it is in the middle of a residential area.
The beach is part of the Table Mountain National Park and you have to pay entrance, but inside there are toilets and showers. The waters are warm and calm and obviously, it is requested that the animals not be disturbed. If you want to see them and learn from them, you have to move to Foxy Beach, next door, which is where an educational walk with walkways, visitor center and more is taught.
Finally, like any city, you can walk through its neighborhoods or the center, if you don't want to venture far away, visit its museums and enjoy its gastronomic offer. With basic care and common sense you will not have any problem.