Cape Town Travel and Vacations

A Brief History

First European Seafarer

The earliest mention of the Cape is in the accounts of Bartolomeu Diaz. In 1488, Diaz became the first European seafarer to circumnavigate the Southernmost tip of Africa; Cabo das Agulhas (Cape Agulhas), the dividing line between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Proceeding along the coast past Agulhas, Diaz encountered a treacherous bay he christened, Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms). King John II of Portugal, though having never set foot in this freshly discovered Cape, was more enthusiastic about the possibility of opening a new route to the East. He renamed it Cabo da Boa Esperança—The Cape of Good Hope—a name the headland of the peninsula retains to this day.

Dutch East India Company

The Dutch East India Company commissioned the first settlers in the Cape Colony to operate a supply depot. This halfway house would serve to restock and repair ships that passed the area. On 6th April 1652, a group of 90 Calvinists, headed by Jan van Riebeeck, arrived at the shores of the Cape in a trio of ships; the Reijger, the Goede Hoop, and the Drommedaris. The overloaded Oliphant and the Walvisch arrived sometime later after suffering 130 burials at sea. After eventually erecting a clay and timber fort and purchasing arable land from the indigenous Khoi-Khoi, Cape Town as we know it today began to take form.

British Rule

After years of on-and-off British occupation during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the Cape was relinquished to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814. Cape Town became the capital of the now British Cape Colony, ceding extensive expansion during the 1800s. Today, Cape Town is the seat of the National Parliament and a world-class international destination.

The Apartheid Years (1948–1994)

From 1948 the National Party enforced apartheid, using the Group Areas Act and Pass Laws to segregate and control movement. In Cape Town, District Six was declared whites-only and its residents were forcibly removed; nearby Robben Island held political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years. Learn more at Robben Island Museum. Growing resistance and sanctions led to the 1990 unbannings and prisoner releases, opening negotiations.

Modern Democratic South Africa (1994–Present)

On 27 April 1994 South Africa held its first democratic elections, ushering in a new constitutional order. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission held hearings in Cape Town. The city remains the seat of Parliament and a major cultural and innovation hub, while the country works to address inequality and apartheid’s spatial legacy; museums like District Six and Robben Island preserve this history.

City Life

Cape Town has an activity (or inactivity) to suit every vacationer. The city hosts many local and international designer stores, esteemed restaurants, and great drinking holes. The historic Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a hub that entertains everything from a German-style Brauhaus that brews its beer, revered seafood utopias, and the biggest names in fashion to the Two Oceans Aquarium and sunrise or sunset cruises from Table Bay Harbor.

For history buffs or travelers seeking a more cultural experience, the city is rife with museums and tokens of bygone years. A pentagonal fortress built in the 17th century, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest standing structure in colonial South Africa. Attractions in the historic building include - cannon demonstrations, tours of the old cells and living quarters, and artwork and artifacts on display in the museum spaces.

One of the most famous historical attractions is the infamous Robben Island. Several political prisoners were confined during the struggle, including South Africa's first democratically-elected president, Nelson Mandela. With a former political prisoner as a guide, gain insight into the 27 years Mandela spent in a cell, along with stories of other freedom fighters and the island's history as a leper colony. Ferries depart to this UNESCO World Heritage Site three times a day from beneath the clock tower at the V&A Waterfront.

The Great Outdoors

No wildlife encounter comes close to diving with the formidable great white shark for the adventurous type. False Bay is famous for predatory breaches, one of the few places in the world where you can be bowled over by the spectacle of a 5m long, 1000kg strong sea monster airborne in its pursuit of a Cape fur seal. For an overland nature experience, take Noordhoek's wild stretch of beach on horseback or hike the rugged trails of Cape Point among ostriches, Cape zebra, red hartebeest, and baboons.

If ascending to the top of Table Mountain via foot and rope or the established cableway (a mere 5-minute trip in a 65-passenger rotating car that offers scenic views of the city and beyond) fails to satisfy your inner adventurer, do not forget that the sky is your limit. Explore the peninsula from the fringe of the heavens - in a paraglider or hang glider - the views are some of the most exceptional in Africa. Table Mountain National Park is also ideal for abseiling, mountain biking, caving, and rock climbing.

The South-Easter wind also makes Cape Town a prime kite surfing destination. On a windy day, hundreds of kite surfers can be spotted bouncing on the swells of Bloubergstrand. Muizenberg, stretching south from the crest of False Bay, is a surfing hotspot, while the best swimming beaches include Llandudno and (clothing-optional) Sandy Bay on the Atlantic seaboard side. St James, Kalk Bay, and Fish Hoek in False Bay have fractionally warmer tidal pools ideal for swimming. Boulders Beach is a popular swimming hole for nature lovers - scattered with striking granite boulders; this protected area has become a settlement for a large colony of African penguins. For a small fee, visitors can sunbathe and float in the surf with these charming birds.