Things to see and do Cape Town

As part of the Cape Peninsula National Park mountain range, which extends to the peninsula, Table Mountain is a must see in Cape Town. It has become one of the new Seven Wonders of the World for its beauty and incredible biodiversity. In the distance, the Drakensberg Mountains, while the city is shaped around Signal Hill and Lion's Head. To the north, Devil Peak is a peak pointing to the sky, encircled by a small cloud. To the south, the "12 Apostles" above Camps Bay are majestic, and the tip of Cape Point can be seen in the distance. Many dassies live up there. Be careful, it bites! Of course, it is forbidden to pick any flowers, light any cigarettes or feed the dassies.

Climbing it on foot (2 hours) or by cable car allows you to marvel at the spectacular view of the city and the peninsula, at an altitude of over 1,000 m. The cable car ride up is impressive.

A 15-minute walk. A shorter tour, the Dassie Walk, makes a quick trip around the cable car station. Another 30 minute tour, the Agama Walk, offers a 360° view of the Cape and the peninsula.

A 3 hour walk. A long loop around the plateau and over the highest point of Mac Lear's Beacon Mountain, at 1087m. In good weather, allow a good 3 hours to walk around the plateau, bask in the sun and have a drink in the restaurant. In summer, it's best to go up at the end of the day for the sunset (remember to book online at weekends!). Free guided tours daily at 10am and 12pm.

1 day hike. Many routes are possible from Camps Bay, Kirstenbosch and even Constantia. We advise you to start in the morning from the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (entrance fee) and climb one of the two passages, Skeleton Gorge or Nursery Ravine, to reach the plateau. A route that passes two mountain lakes will take you to the cable car station (minimum 4 hours). Be aware that, all along the route, you have to climb ladders, which are very safe, but not very suitable for non-sportsmen and the fearful. There are many ways down, the most convenient being the one leading to the car park. If you are lazy about walking up and want to dedicate yourself to this walk from 11am onwards, buy a one-way ticket and do the reverse route to Kirstenborsch, this is the most classic route.

5 days/4 nights. The Hoerikwaggo trail, organised by the National Park guides, is best booked well in advance! You hike from the Cape of Good Hope in a small group to Table Mountain, passing through the "12 Apostles" mountain range and sleeping in well-equipped heavy tented camps, accompanied by a ranger.

Tips: Check the weather. Buy a detailed map of the park or use the services of a guide as the walking paths are not well marked and the mountain can be dangerous: sudden fog, crevasses... Always remain vigilant and walk in groups, not too late in the afternoon. Also be careful in winter, do not go through Skeleton Gorge because this path is the bed of a steep river with very slippery stones and frankly dangerous, prefer Nursery Ravine. Don't forget to take a little wool with you because when the weather gets cloudy, the temperature drops quickly

It takes imagination to recognize his Lionhead profile. At the top, the view is fascinating: Table Mountain in the back, overlooking downtown on one side, Camps Bay on the other, the ocean in between. A very popular hike among the locals. The most difficult part: the arrival on the summit, at 669 m. Beware of vertigo and young children, both routes are difficult. On one side, a climbing passage using an iron chain for the sportsmen, on the other, a passage through big stones on the edge of the cliff.

Pauline is an expatriate member of the Academy of the wine of Cap Town where it stands. Its slogans: personal service and quality. Specialising in the south - african wines, a guide will take you, the day time, through the spectacular winelands (vineyards). Specialised Tour with wine tasting intensive or more relaxed, with free time to explore the towns of Franschhoek, Stellenbosch or Paarl.

Since 1997, Robben Island has been on the World Heritage List. Essential for understanding the still recent history of the country, this visit is a highlight because of the solemnity of this site where hundreds of people died. The rock, located 9 km from the port of Cape Town, housed, between the 17th and 20th centuries, a prison, an asylum, a leprosarium and a military base before becoming, from 1963, a high-security prison. Most of the rebel freedom fighters, Hottentots or slaves, were actually the first political prisoners in the country!

A bus takes you around the island.The island is surrounded by a large maritime zone designed to protect the only colony of 140,000 African penguins and the 60 species of birds. The bus stops at the lime quarry, where Mandela and the other prisoners had worked hard with burnt hands and eyes. The visit continues in the heavy atmosphere of the prison halls and near the football field, the only leisure allowed. The guide, a former political prisoner, recounts the intense experience. You visit Block B, the very high security block for political prisoners, and the tiny cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison, escaping by thinking and writing. Illiterate and illiterate people were coming out educated, like the former President of the Republic, Jacob Zuma, who entered in 1963 and left ten years later. It is regrettable that the visit is taking place on the spur of the moment...

This is THE Museum of Contemporary Art in Cape Town. A huge building, that of the former Silo Building, a pharaonic transformation project in the industrial district of the V&A Waterfront that gave birth to the first museum of this scale in Africa. A cultural institution that, in addition to exhibitions, events, workshops and other events, contributes to the cultural and artistic scene in Cape Town and highlights contemporary art from all over Africa.

Famous for its immense variety of fynbos and protees, don't miss the botanical garden, this reserve offers many walking and mountain bike trails. The climb to the top of Paarl Rock, 45 minutes from the lower car park or 15 minutes from the upper car park, is easy and impressive. In bad weather, beware of the orientation! For a panoramic view of the valley, take the Jan Phillips Mountain Drive along the reserve.

Olympic swimming pool 1918 Art deco. A huge pool, another dedicated to the Olympic diving board where athletes train, two children's pools. The sea view whose blue added to the range of the blue swimming pools. A beautiful place. Popular and lively atmosphere.

Long Street is a shopping and tourist thoroughfare and is at the heart of Cape Town's nightlife. It is also the axis that joins Green Point and Camps Bay, a reason that probably led to its development more than 300 years ago. As its name suggests, it is very long: it starts from the De Waterkant business district and then, after the intersection with Strand Street, becomes part of the popular Bo Kaap district, with its small halal grocery stores, bookstores and mosques. Finally, in its upper part, it aligns restaurants, discos and backpackers.

A complete site (paper version available at the tourist office) to find out about excursions and areas to visit.