Cape Town City Center Attractions

Adderley Street can be referred to as Cape Town's main street.  This vibrant and busy street in the heart of Cape Town reaches from the Heerengracht up to the entrance of the park Company's Garden. In 1850, Adderley Street was named in honour of the British parlamentarian Charles B. Adderley, who vehemently and successfully fought against the plan of the British government to make Cape Town another convict colony.

Adderley Street in Cape Town, South Africa, is lined on each side by big old office buildings, many belonging to the South African insurance, financing and banking groups.

At one end of Adderley Street, one finds the Cape Town's railway station (Central Station), the traffic of the overland busses also has its centre here.  On the square in front of the station is a permanent open-air market. Here one can find, besides leather goods and shoes, curios and handcrafted goods, cheap clothing and imitations of famous sportswear brands (Diesel, Quiksilver, Nike) for the shortlived good impression. A pedestrian bridge leads to the Golden Acre Shopping Centre which is South Africa's oldest shopping centre. Nowadays the St. George's Mall is more popular for shopping. It runs parallel to Adderley Street and many of the shops have entrances on both sides.
Between Strand Street and Darling Street, lies the famous Flower Market. Freshly cut flowers have been sold here on weekdays for more than a hundred years.

The upper part of Adderley Street is characterised by a number of historical buildings. On Church Square is the entrance to the Groote Kerk, one of the oldest churches in South Africa and motherhouse of the first parish of the NG Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church). At the end of the street is the Slave Lodge with a statue of Jan Smuts in front of it. The Dutch-East-India Company imprisoned its slaves there. Today it is a museum for cultural history.

The Cape Town Diamond Museum captures the essence of South African diamond history.  Visitors are encouraged to explore the journey of diamonds in South Africa.  Explore first hand what mining was like, learn about the 4 Cs and discover a whole new way of appreciating the art of diamonds. 

Unique attractions at the Cape Town Diamond Museum, South Africa:

• the specimens dating back billions of years
• life size replicas of famous diamonds
• the visual timeline

Location

1st Floor, Clock Town Precinct, adjacent to Robben Island Gateway

Closest parking

Clock Tower Underground Parking

The Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town (CTIA), South Africa. is a hub for South African Airways. The Cape Town International Airport is the second-largest airport in South Africa, after OR Tambo International Airport
in Johannesburg, third-largest in Africa and a major gateway for tourist traffic. Until the mid-1990s the airport was named DF Malan Airport after Prime Minister Daniel François Malan.

The Cape Town International Airport handled 7,932,000 passengers per annum up to October 2007, showing a massive increase of 13.6% over 2006 figures. Cape Town International maintains its status as Africa's 3rd busiest airport and has overtaken San Antonio International Airport in the world rankings.

The Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) is undergoing major renovations at a total cost of R1.3 billion to accommodate the expected 14-million passengers by 2015. The new International Terminal has already been completed with the first of two new multi-storey car parkades already operational adjacent to the Domestic Terminal.

The single landside road access has been reconfigured to provide a two-level roadway, with the lower-level for arrivals and upper-level for departures. This increases capacity at the airport and completely alters the face of the airport.

The domestic terminals are received a complete face-lift in conjunction with a new central terminal building at a cost of R900 million, linking the international and domestic terminals. The domestic terminal has been extensively upgraded and expanded, with the central terminal accommodating both additional international and domestic arrivals and departures. Complementing additional capacity, additional glass air-bridges have been added at airside to facilitate direct access from arrivals and departures to the aircraft.

Cape Town International Airport: ground transportation

Luxury bus transfers and Cape Town hotel transfers are available from the Cape Town airport arrival terminal. Taxi services are also available but passengers should ensure to use a registered taxi service - look for clearly marked vehicles registered as taxis. There are a limited number of taxis authorized at the airport.

Cape Town International Airport: airport location and access / directions

By car

Take the N2 highway from Cape Town to direction Somerset West and follow the signs to the airport.

By taxi

Taxis are available from the airport to the city centre (journey time: 20 minutes).

By bus

Door-to-door shuttle bus services are available on demand or by pre-booking in Arrivals (International and Domestic). Schedules vary according to flight arrival times; passengers can also pre-book their return trip to the airport.

Self Drive Around Table Mountain Tour, Cape Town
 
Distance:  50km (31 miles)      
 
Driving Time:  1 ½ hours       
 
Allow:  7 hours
 
General Overview:
 
This tour takes in coastal scenery plus stretches of unspoilt, undeveloped coastline.  A boat trip to Seal Island and stroll through the world-famous Kirstenbosch National Garden. This beautiful drive starts from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
 
Points of Interest: 
 
Sea Point, Clifton, Camps Bay, Hout Bay, Seal Island, (option: Drive to top of Chapman’s Peak), Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.  
 
Along this scenic route you will see the Somerset Hospital which was the home of Lord Charles Somerset, governor of the Cape between 1814 and 1827. You will pass Green Point Lighthouse. It is the oldest lighthouse on the South African coast built in 1824.  Passing Sea Point and Clifton with its high-rise beachfront apartment blocks. The most beautiful beach resorts are at Clifton and Camps Bay. The next seaside village is Llandudno which nestles at the foot of a mountain called Little Lion’s Head.
 
Visit the picturesque Hout Bay Harbour where one can stop and have lunch at one of the excellent restaurants. The boat ride to Seal Island leaves from the harbour or go to the World of Birds up Valley Road. If you have time the scenic drive to the top of Chapman’s Peak is spectacular. From Hout Bay to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is a winding road through a forested area with beautiful views of the Southern Cape Peninsula.
 
The magnificent gardens at Kirstenbosch are world renowned for their beauty and diversity of the Cape flora. The garden covers 36 hectares of indigenous South African plants e.g. cycads (these date back 100 million years), proteas, fragrant and medicinal plants etc.
 
On the way back to Cape Town you will pass the University of Cape Town which was founded in 1829 and is regarded as the top research institute on the African continent. On the right you will pass the historic Mostert’s Mill and finally Groote Schuur Hospital where the world’s first human heart transplant took place in 1967.

Cape Town Self Drive Tour: Southern Cape Peninsula
 
Distance:  110 km (68 miles)      

Driving Time:  3 ½ hours   
 
Allow:  7 ½ hours
 
General Overview:
 
This scenic self drive tour follows the Atlantic coast to the magnificent Cape Point Nature Reserve and the Cape of Good Hope (the most south-westerly point of Africa) and returns along the False Bay coast.
 
Points of Interest: 
 
Groot Constantia Wine Estate, Chapman’s Peak, Ostrich Farm, Penguin Colony, Kalk Bay antique shops. This drive starts from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

Detailed Tour description: 
 
Along this route you will pass Groote Schuur Hospital where the world’s first heart transplant took place in 1967. Next the historic Mosterts Mill  and onto Groot Constantia. This homestead is a fine example of Cape Dutch architecture which was built in 1685 and it is the oldest wine farm in South Africa. The manor house has a fine collection of period furniture and ceramics and taste the wine at the winery noted for its red wines.
 
Now head for Chapman’s Peak Drive which is spectacular. At the highest point is an excellent lookout point and continue along the road which hugs the cliff face and notice the different rock types, below the road is igneous granite and above is sandstone of sedimentary origin. Pass the quaint country Noordhoek Farm Village with its craft shops and restaurants. Along the way you see the tallest lighthouse on the South African coastline – Slangkop. Visit the Cape Point Ostrich Farm.
 
Enter the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and onto Cape Point where many people say that the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Take a walk to the lighthouse or go via the funicular railway. Have lunch at the restaurant overlooking the ocean. You will certainly see Baboons but do not feed them.
 
The stretch from Cape Point to the African penguins is spectacular with unique scenery along the False Bay coast. The penguins (an endangered species) at Boulders Beach are often called Jackass penguins as their call is similar to the bray of a donkey. 
 
Pass through the quaint naval town of Simon’s Town which has a Victorian feel and was the headquarters of the British Royal Navy from 1806 – 1957. If you are interested in semi-precious stones visit The Scratch Patch and Mineral World at Dido Valley. Pass Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay with its antique shops and quaint fishing harbour and Muizenberg where surfing is great.  Return to Cape Town.

During the early days of white settlement at the Cape in South Africa, Robben Island, which is 500 ha in size and 12 kilometres off the coast, was used as a prison colony. The so-called 'deliquents' that were brought here, were mainly rebellious Khoikhoi. With very few exceptions, attempted escapes failed and most of the escapees drowned during the long swim to the coast.

In 1961, South Africa's most notorious prison was established on Robben Island. Political prisoners of the anti-apartheid movement were kept here together with hardened criminals. The most prominent inmate was Nelson Mandela, who later became the first President of the new democratic South Africa. Here Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in a tiny cell of 5 square metres.

The living conditions were, particularly in the early years, extremely bad. Prisoners had to labour in the quarry, were not dressed sufficiently and had to sleep on a thin strawmatt on the stonefloor. Through strikes and endless protests, in 1971 the prisoners achieved the implementation of more humane conditions and were also allowed to study. Mandela himself describes his 27 years on Robben Island very impressively in his autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom".

Today, Robben Island is a national memorial and a museum. The catamaran ferries leave from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront's Clock Tower to Robben Island. The boat trip takes about 30 minutes and the guided tour of the island about two hours. A former inmate acts as tour guide around the prison and presents Nelson Mandela's cell. There is a bus one can take to the lime quarry, where the prisoners had to labour in the blinding sun without protection.

The ticket sales office is located at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.

Robben Island Museum:
Tel +27 21 413 4220/1 (Nelson Mandela Gateway)
Email: infow@robben-island.org.za Tel +27 21 409 5169  +27 21 409 5169 (Robben Island)
Email: infoi@robben-island.org.za

Advance Bookings:
Tel   +27 21 413 4233  +27 21 413 4233 / 37
Fax +27 21 418 3736
Email: rimbookings@robben-island.org.za

Special Tours:
Tel +27 21 411 1037 +27 21 411 1037
Email: specialtours@robben-island.org.za

Just before the entrance to the Company Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa, lies the Slave Lodge. Built in 1679 by the Dutch-East India Trading Company, this single-story building was used to accommodate about 600 slaves. At the same time it also served as a mental asylum and a prison. In the year 1810 a second story was added and from then on it housed the High Court. Today the museum is dedicated to different aspects of the history of Cape Town with its big collections of ceramics, tools, toys, textiles and jewellery.

Cape Town – Table Mountain

Table Mountain Website
Table Mountain Cableway Enquiries: Tel:  (021) 424-8181  (021) 424-8181 or Online Enquiries

Providing a majestic backdrop to the city of Cape Town, Table Mountain is one of the world's most striking natural wonders and South Africa's most recognized icon. Flanked by Devil's Peak to the east, Lion's Head and Signal Hill to the west, the massif of Table Mountain comprises the flat-topped plateau of the eastern and western tables overlooking the city of Cape Town, the eastern buttresses with their forested ravines flanking the city's southern suburbs, and the western buttresses of the Twelve Apostles standing sentinel along the Atlantic coast.

The level summit of Table Mountain is three kilometres long, east to west. Its highest point, at 1 086 metres, is Maclear's beacon. This beacon was erected in 1843 by the astronomer, Sir Thomas Maclear, as part of an experiment to more accurately measure the circumference of the earth. The western end of the narrow plateau supports the upper cableway station, first built in 1929.

In May 1998, the proclamation of the Cape Peninsula National Park placed Table Mountain and much of the remaining unspoiled area of the Peninsula under the custodianship of South African National Parks. The Cape Peninsula National Park is the only national park in the country set in the midst of a bustling metropolis.

Please
 • Be vigilant.
 • Take only photographs, leave only footprints
 • Stick to designated paths, roads and trails
 • Note closing times
 • Keep pets on a leash
 • Consider the privacy of fellow visitors
 • Adhere to road safety rules
 • Choose your mountain route according to the fitness and experience of the party
 • Tell someone exactly where you are going, and when you expect to return
 • Stay put in case of trouble - don't try to find your way down in mist or in the dark.
 • Retrace your steps if you get lost.

Please don't

 • Litter
 • Light any fires without permission
 • Feed, disturb or injure any animal
 • Damage, remove or destroy any seeds, plants or rocks
 • Climb alone or visit secluded areas after dark
 • Leave personal belongings unattended
 • Stray off constructed footpaths
 • Mountain bike in sensitive areas

Landscape of Table Mountain
There is much of geological interest on and around Table Mountain, displaying evidence of the varying rock types from which the mountain is composed, and the geological processes and changing climatic conditions which, over hundreds of millions of years, have served to build and sculpt the landscape we see today. The bulk of Table Mountain is composed of layer upon layer of erosion resistant light grey sandstone of the Peninsula formation (so-called Table Mountain sandstone) and shale and siltstone of the underlying Graafwater formation. These rest upon a foundation of what is, for the most part, Cape granite. In the north the Cape granite gives way to rocks of the Malmesbury group, from which most of Signal Hill is made up, and which run under the city centre and Devil's Peak to the west.

Table Mountain sandstone erodes slowly and produces sandy, nutrient-poor soils that are easily leached. The indigenous fynbos ("fine bush") vegetation is well adapted to such conditions and reaches its greatest species diversity in places where these poor soils are found. Soils derived from Cape granite and rocks of the Malmesbury group, on the contrary, are much richer in nutrients and more susceptible to erosion.

Water on Table Mountain
Van Riebeeck's decision as to where to establish the first European settlement was influenced by the continuous flow of fresh water from the Platteklip Gorge stream, which provided the first supply of water for Cape Town. Until the second half of the nineteenth century the city was able to meet its water needs from the Platteklip stream and from other springs and streams on the north face of Table Mountain.

The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1867 and of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886, however, provided the stimulus by which the population of Cape Town trebled from 33 000 in 1875 to over 100 000 by the turn of the nineteenth century. Cape Town became not only South Africa's leading port of entry but also the main service and supply centre for the rapidly
developing hinterland. To address the growing demand for water, work began in 1887 on a plan to cut a tunnel through the Twelve Apostles to bring water from the untapped Disa Stream to the Camps Bay side of the mountain. From here it was fed by gravity through a pipeline to Kloof Nek, and then down to Cape Town. During the late 1800s and early 1900s five storage dams were built on the mountain to augment the supply of water to both Cape Town and the suburbs developing along the eastern and western slopes of the mountain.


Fauna on Table Mountain, Cape Town
The fauna of this area includes a wealth of invertebrate species that may exceed even the flora in their diversity, and which over time have evolved an astonishing array of symbiotic interrelationships with the flora that scientists are only now beginning to understand. No less than 111 of these invertebrates, and one vertebrate - the Table Mountain Ghost frog - are found nowhere else on earth. The visitor to Table Mountain is most likely to encounter the ubiquitous dassie (Rock Hyrax), whose closest living relative is, strangely enough, the African elephant.
While early callers at the Cape commented on the abundance of large animals they encountered here, most of these were shot out or driven away in the early years of European settlement. However, while the larger predators like lion, leopard and hyena have
disappeared, most of the animals found here historically still survive. This is all the more remarkable when one considers that Cape Town has experienced over 350 years of urban, agricultural and industrial development, with attendant pressures on the remaining natural environment.

HUMAN HISTORY
It may never be precisely known when the first people arrived at the Peninsula, but it may have been as early as a million years ago. When the first Khoi-khoi pastoralists arrived with their domestic animals around 2000 years ago, they recognised the natural assets of the area. By the time the first Europeans began calling at the Cape these pastoralists were driving their herds of sheep and cattle here each summer for the good grazing and certain water supply. To these people, Table Mountain was known as Hoerikwaggo ("the mountain of the sea").

SOME MAIN ATTRACTIONS
 • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (managed by the National Botanical Institute)
 • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
 • Signal Hill
 • Rhodes' Memorial
 • Lion's Head

WALKS AND CLIMBS on Table Mountain
Climbers have opened over 350 separate routes to the summit of Table Mountain, ranging from easy to very difficult.

Climbing the mountain should not be attempted without expert advice. The Mountain Club of
South Africa welcomes dedicated mountaineers as prospective members. Walks are organized by volunteer groups known as the Friends of Lion’s Head and the Friends of Newlands Forest.
The most popular trails are the Pipe Track from Kloofnek; Platteklip Gorge; Skeleton Gorge; Constantia Nek towards the dams and Maclear's Beacon; and Kasteel Poort on the Camps Bay side.
For more information consult the map "Approved footpaths of Table Mountain", available in local bookstores, or a number of hiking guidebooks that are available.

* Approximate Walking Times (add time for stops)

Constantia Nek to Maclear’s Beacon 1085m 4 Hours*
Skeleton Ravine to Maclear’s Beacon 1085m 3.5 Hours*
Platteklip Gorge to Maclear‘s Beacon 1085m 2.5 Hours*
Kasteel’s Poort to Maclear’s Beacon 1085m 3.5 Hours*
Lion’s Head 669m 2 Hours*

• Abseiling (Western Table)
 • Angling and diving (Oudekraal and the Karbonkelberg)
 • Braaiing (barbequeing) and/or picnicking - (Oudekraal, the Glen, Van Riebeeck Park, kirstenbosch, Signal Hill)
 • Hang-gliding and parasailing (the Karbonkelberg and Lion's Head)
 • Hiking (trails traverse the entire area)
 • Mountain climbing and rock climbing (Lion's Head and Table Mountain)
 • Scenic drives (Tafelberg Road, Signal Hill Road, Victoria Road)
 • Mountain biking (below Tafelberg Road)
 • Dining (restaurants at Kirstenbosch, Rhodes Memorial and the upper cableway station on Table Mountain)


FLORA
The Cape Floristic Region is internationally recognized for its extraordinary floral biodiversity. Table Mountain and the Peninsula are home to some 2 285 plants species - more than 25% of the species found throughout the Cape Floristic Region. Table Mountain alone has over 1 500 species of plants, more than the whole of the United Kingdom, many of which are endemic. The most common regetation type on Table Mountain, as with the rest of the Cape Peninsula National Park, is fynbos.

This generally low-growing, shrubby vegetation includes heaths (Ericaceae), reeds (Restionaceae) and proteas (Proteaceae). Some of the most conspicuous fynbos species on the mountain are from the protea family, and include the King Protea Protea cynaroides, South Africa's national emblem. Also found are the larger-growing "Waboom" Protea nitida and the "Kreupelhout" Leucospermum conocarpodendron which can grow to the size of a small tree. Another member of the protea family is the endemic Silver Tree Leucadendron argenteum, which is found on the slopes of Lion's Head and above Kirstenbosch.It is in the shrubs found below these larger species, however, that one finds more striking evidence of the extraordinary species diversity for which fynbos is famous. This is particularly so with the geophytes (plants that grow from underground bulbs), such as members of the Disa, Gladiolus, Moraea, Watsonia, Babiana and Iris genera. Many geophytes are well known for their spectacular displays when flowering en masse, particularly in the wake of fire. The second vegetation type of Table Mountain, Renosterbos ("rhinoceros bush"), is also rich in geophytes. Found on Signal Hill and the lower slopes of Devil's Peak, Renosterbos takes its name from the drab, grey ericoid shrub Elytropappus rhinocerotis that is generally abundant. Alsocharacteristic of Renosterbos is the presence of grasses, which in this veld type take the place of restios, and the virtual absence of proteas. Lastly there is afro-montane forest and thicket. This covers only around 3% of the Cape Peninsula, and is mainly established along the cooler, well-watered ravines on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and in Orange Kloof. Together these vegetation types constitute a flora so rich in species that it is not only the most diverse corner of the Cape Floristic Region, but also, from a botanical point of view, the richest area, for its size, anywhere on the planet, surpassing even the tropical rainforests in its diversity. This is the reason that the Cape Peninsula has been nominated for World Heritage Site status.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Sacred Circle - The pioneers of Islam in the Cape were political prisoners and slaves brought from the East during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most had been exiled for leading their nations' resistance to colonialism. In 1694, for example, Sheikh Joseph was banished to the Cape by the Dutch after the conquest of Java and Sumatra. Because of the lives and works of these religious leaders, and the sitting of their kramats (tombs), Muslims have come to regard Cape Town as a holy place. Sheik Joseph's resting place is one of a number of kramats that form a sacred circle around the city. The road between Lion's Head and Signal Hill runs past the domed kramat of Mohamed Gasan Gaibie Shah, while the kramats of Sayed Abdul Haq and ten others are found in the Deer Park, a common place of refuge for Muslims during colonial times. Anotherkramat is that of Sayed Abdul Malik, a doctor and spiritualist who came to the Cape at the end of the eighteenth century as a slave from Batavia.

Cannons - In former years, a small cannon was fired from the summit of Lion's Head, signaling the approach of ships in Table Bay. This was relayed to the interior by cannons mounted at other vantage points, summoning distant farmers to the city with provisions for trade, or to defend the harbor against attack.

Noonday Gun - The South African Navy fires Signal Hill's Noonday Gun at 12a.m. every day but Sunday. The famous Lion's Battery on the slopes of this 335m hill overlooking Table Bay is also used to fire salutes for visiting ships and on ceremonial occasions.

A Missing Link - The Wynberg caves are the only place on earth where the missing link between worms and insects occurs. The velvet worm peripatus is regarded as the evolutionary link between segmented worms like earthworms and arthropods, such as millipedes.

The Tablecloth - Devil's Peak got its name from a legend concerning a Dutch pirate named Van Hunks, who is said to have spent his days smoking his pipe where the saddle of land connects Devil's Peak to Table Mountain. One day, he challenged the Devil to a smoking contest, with the condition that if he won he could reclaim his previously forfeited soul. So much smoke was generated by the contest that the "tablecloth" formed over the mountain.

The Guardian of the South - From various myths and legends, the Portuguese poet, Luis Vas de Camoes, (1524-1580), developed the character "Adamastor" - the monstrous Guardian of the South who was said to have been vanquished by the Portuguese explorers after they had rounded the Cape of Good Hope. The Peninsula was portrayed as the supine form of Adamastor after his death. In Xhosa legend, Djobela - the Earth Goddess turned mighty giants, placed in the four corners of the earth, into mountains to guard the world. The greatest giant of them all – Umlindi Welingizunu was Table Mountain, the Watcher of the South.

Constellation - Table Mountain is the only geographical feature in the world that has a constellation named after it - the Mensa ("table" in Latin).