Cape Town (South Africa) is one of the most amazing cities on the edge of the African continent. At first glance, it amazes the traveler with its contrasts - wild African nature and Dutch colonial-style mansions, trendy shopping centers and affordable hostels for budget travelers, as well as the memory of apartheid, which has been eaten into the bone marrow. But let's take a walk around this city and its environs, as well as see photos that clearly demonstrate all its uniqueness and uniqueness.
Geographical location, how to get
Cape Town (South Africa) is located on a peninsula that ends in the Cape of Good Hope. Above it stands the Table Mountain or Table Mountain. Its flat top is captured literally on all city brochures. Maybe that's why the bay that washes Cape Town is called the Table. The city has its own international airport, from where, by the way, you can get to almost any point in the country where there is a hub. Both regular and charter flights fly here, especially in winter, which is called here in summer. From the airport, the center can be reached by train, train or tourist bus. There is excellent transport, literally every half hour.
Climate
The latitude and longitude of the city of Cape Town (Africa, South Africa) are its geographical coordinates. They are as follows. The city is located at 33 degrees 55 minutes south latitude and at 18 ° 28 'east longitude. This means that it is very close to Antarctica, and this greatly affects the climate. It is hot from December to April, and these months are peak. However, it is sometimes worth the sun to go behind the clouds, as the temperature can instantly drop by 15 degrees, especially if the south wind blows. Therefore, the weather in Cape Town (South Africa) is often unpredictable.
But in June and July, travelers are guaranteed the rainy season. The nights are cold and the air temperature during the day is no higher than 18 degrees. However, foodies come here at this time. They say that it is during the rainy season in Cape Town that you can contemplate the most beautiful sunsets in the world and enjoy especially delicious seasonal seafood.
Cape Town Attractions (Africa, South Africa)
Traveling around the city is best done by bus. The main station, from where you can reach anywhere in Cape Town, is called the Golden Acre Terminal and is located in the center, in the City Bowl area. If you go not too far, you can take a taxi or a private cab, it is not very expensive.
The oldest building in South Africa is the Fortress of Good Hope. This fort was built by Van Riebeck in the seventeenth century as a base for the ships of the Dutch-East India Company. Around the fortress, in fact, Cape Town began to be built. In 1936, the fort became a museum, and now there is no end to tourists.
It is worth looking into the South African National Gallery, where the wooden products of local tribes are adjacent to the works of Dutch and French masters of the 17-19 centuries. Then you should take a leisurely walk around the city, admiring the mixture of different styles in its architecture.
And “for a snack” you can walk along the promenade of Victoria and Alfred, where crowds of tourists from different countries are always teeming. This is not surprising, because there are a lot of colorful restaurants, discos and bars.
Nature and surroundings
If you already met the center of Cape Town, it's time to go further. It is best to travel around the city by train or overground subway. Train routes are laid so that passengers can enjoy nature. For example, one of the trains runs along the ocean coast, so from the window it can be seen how blue whales jump in the waves.
The symbol of Cape Town has long been the beautiful Mount Table, a little over a kilometer high. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens were opened here. Now they are among the seven most beautiful arboretums in the world. You can climb here on foot, but it’s best and most effective to do this by cable car. From the mountain you can see the whole center, the ocean, beaches and the bay. The gardens have collected all the plants that can only be found in South Africa.
The second significant landmark of the surroundings are the capes: Good Hope, which still went around Vasco da Gama, and Cape Point. These places are really unique. There is a lighthouse, which now serves as an observation deck, and where you feel as if at the edge of the world. And if you go down the walkways to Fals Bay, you will get exactly where the legend of the Flying Dutchman once arose.
The geographical coordinates of the city of Cape Town (Africa, South Africa) demonstrate that it is not so far from the cape, where two oceans merge. Cape Hope used to be such a place. But now it’s clear that this is Cape Igolny , two hundred kilometers from the city.
Hotels, apartments and villas
If you want to stay for a few days or even spend your whole vacation in Cape Town (South Africa), then both budget and luxury hotels are at your service. Many of them are concentrated in the city center or on the promenade of Victoria and Alfred.
Good five-star hotels include Taj, Westlin, and Cape Grace. Hotels designed for the average tourist are Double Three Hilton, Harbor Bridge Hotel and Suites and The Ritz. Well, budget travelers will like hostels and bed and breakfast hotels - Cube, Acorn House, B.IG, Stacked Backpackers.
Those who come to Cape Town with their families and prefer apartments can choose expensive options - for example, Lauhill Luxher and The Glen - or cheaper ones (Deaddy Long Lags and Keskades). If you arrived in the city on vacation, it is better, of course, to stay in a suburban hotel on the coast or rent a cottage and even a villa with a garden.
Beaches
Cape Town attracts tourists with the opportunity to relax at sea. All beaches are sandy, and eight of them have the Blue Flag for the purity of the water. A well-equipped and crowded coast with lots of entertainment is Sunset, Clifton and Camps Bay. If you are looking for privacy, then at your service is Kommety Beach. But note that the water on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean is cool. This also needs to be kept in mind when visiting beaches. The water is much warmer on the side of the coast that belongs to the Indian Ocean.
The most interesting beach in the vicinity of Cape Town is Boulders Beach. Since time immemorial, a penguin colony has been living there. You can sunbathe and swim, and they will come to you and consider you with interest. The main thing is to protect the camera from penguins - they do not like their shine, and they can break glass with their beaks. But the most popular beaches of Cape Town (South Africa) are used by surfers. It is better for beginners to try their hand at the Meisenberg area, and more experienced ones are recommended by Kalk Bay or Misty Cliffs. The most suitable beaches for kitesurfing are Dolphin Beach and Langbaan Lagoon.
Shopping: what to bring
One of the most popular places for tourists who come to buy souvenirs is the V&A Waterfront shopping center. There are 450 shops where you can buy clothes, jewelry, jewelry and leather products, equipment. Located in this mall and boutiques where things of famous brands are sold. However, some believe that prices are overpriced there. Therefore, to purchase authentic ebony figurines or masks of different tribes, go to the Green Point Stadium market. There you can bargain and get good discounts. This place is located near the mentioned shopping center. Malls are open until nine in the evening, and the rest of the stores close at seven.
South Africa, Cape Town, attractions: tourist reviews
Travelers have long loved this city. They consider it one of the most beautiful places in South Africa. Boating, trips to the island where the colony of seals lives, to the former Robbin colony, where Nelson Mandela was in prison , ascent on the cable car to Mount Stolovaya, safari - from trips to Cape Town (South Africa), photos of which tourists post in reports, there remains a kaleidoscope of vivid impressions for life. This is an incredibly beautiful, unusual city, with delicious cuisine and not too expensive life.
Cape Town is exotic, I want to come back here. Yes, the criminogenic situation here is not very good, but if you do not wander at night in disadvantaged areas, but prefer to go sightseeing or swim in the ocean, nothing bad will happen to you. There are many video cameras in the center, and the police always stand guard over the tranquility and safety of tourists. It is a city of contrasts and different cultures. Every year it changes for the better, it remains only its chic nature, incomparable seafood, excellent wine and eye-catching prices.