Cape Town is
South Africa's 'Mother City' and one of Africa's premier tourist destinations. With its cosmopolitan feel and Mediterranean climate, the Cape offer a unique perspective on Africa.
The luxurious, cosmopolitan lifestyle available in Cape Town offers a first-world feel that juxtaposes the unspoilt natural wonders of the region. Cape Town's sophistication ranges from a world-class shopping experience at the V&A waterfront, to spectacular dining opportunities with a view of
Table Mountain, to the lively bustle and night-life of Cape Town's Central Business District.
On the other side of the coin, Cape Town boasts the Cape's flourishing fynbos (a floral kingdom of fine bush that is unique to the
Western Cape), wine tasting tours in the world-renowned
Cape Winelands, and even cage-diving with the great-white sharks of False Bay.
As the growth of Cape Town's CDB has been confined by
Table Mountain on the one side and the sea on the other, the city of Cape Town has remained relatively small. These geographical confines have resulted in a city which has spilled out into the variety of suburbs and maintained low-density living throughout most of the city. Many of Cape Town's suburbs could be considered towns in their own right – highlighted by the fact that the journey from one extreme of the greater Cape Town to the other spans in the region of 80km.
Cape Town is
South Africa's oldest city, founded in the mid-1600 to serve as a stop-over for the Dutch on their way to the East. At the time it was known as “The Tavern of the Seas” and thrived off harbour trade. Today Cape Town is
South Africa's 4th largest city and its harbour is the second largest after
Durban's - but it still has the biggest dry dock in the Southern Hemisphere.
Cape Town Weather
The weather is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers which are often cooled by the blustery southeaster wind (known as the 'Cape Doctor' for its cleansing effect on the city). From May to September cold, rainy winters are often broken by unexpected summer days. Occasionally though, Cape Town has been known to pass through all 4 seasons in a single day! Although all months of the year have their appeal in Cape Town, January to May (mid-summer to early winter) may be considered the best months to visit
