V&A Waterfront

In terms of tourist attractions on the Cape Peninsula the V&A waterfront is a close second to only Table Mountain - the grandeur of which provides perhaps the most spectacular backdrop to a waterfront anywhere in the world. With the extensive reclamation of land from the sea during the 1930's Cape Town lost much of its historical connection to the sea. The development of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront has seen a reversal of this and rekindled Cape Town's scenic waters edge. The V&A Waterfront development has transformed much of Cape Town's old docks into a vibrant hub of entertainment, shopping and excellent food.

The waterfront is still very much a busy working dock due to Cape Town's unique location at the bottom tip of Africa. This fact makes exploring what has now also become the leisure centre of Cape Town even more fascinating. The V&A Waterfront is littered with open quayside restaurants, cinemas, speciality stores and boutiques, boat tours (including ferries to the infamous landmark of Robben Island), the grand Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, walkways, buskers, and practically any form of shopping, eating (from fast food to haute cuisine, from local Cape cuisine to Belgian or Indian), or other leisure entertainment imaginable. Cape fur seals can be seen swimming in the waters around the piers and the incomparable Two Oceans aquarium is a must-see attraction. The Wine Centre (for fine local wine) and Mitchell's Brewery (for fresh ale brewed on the premises) also offer wonderful tasting experiences.

Besides the buskers, there are often open-air concerts at the V&A waterfront and some of the taverns offer live music too. Paulaner Brahaus often has music in the evenings. For children there is a scratch patch where they can search throught thousands of semi-precious stones to find the ones they want to keep, a miniature golf putting course, and depending on the season sometimes even carnival rides.

If a day of pure leisure sounds too self-indulgent, those set on more historical or technological interests won't be disappointed either – the South African Maritime Museum and a walking historical tour of the waterfront are very popular in this regard.

Restaurants worth visiting

Balthazars has been consistently voted one of the top steak houses in South Africa and is well worth visiting if you're looking for an excellent meal. They also have a good wine selection. Harry's Pancake House on the Clocktower Precinct part of the V&A Waterfront offers a variety of pancakes with fillings drawn from popular local Cape cuisine. Harry's offers great value for money and the best outdoor seating in the Clocktower Precinct.

Things to do at the V&A Waterfront

*Shopping
*Trips to Robben Island
*Cruises and sailing out into the bay
*Helicopter trips
*Cinema
*Two Oceans Aquarium
*South Africa Maritime Museum

*Restaurants of all shapes and sizes, from fast food to 5 star cuisine

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