Cape Town

Where It Is and Why It Matters

Table Mountain National Park is managed by South African National Parks and stretches from Signal Hill and Lion's Head through Table Mountain, Constantiaberg and Silvermine to Cape Point. It is part of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site first inscribed in 2004. The wider Cape Floral Region holds an estimated 9,000 plant species, and about 69% of them grow nowhere else.

What You Do There

• Hike or ride the cable car up Table Mountain on a clear, calm morning
• Drive the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point, stopping at Boulders Beach to see the African penguin colony
• Walk Kirstenbosch's gardens, which sit on the eastern slopes of the mountain
• Eat well: Cape Town has some of the best restaurants on the continent, and the Winelands are under an hour away

From June to November, southern right whales come into False Bay and along the coast, so a winter or spring visit can add whale watching without leaving the city.

Best Time to Go

Cape Town has winter rain and dry summers. November to March is warm, dry and the busiest time, which suits beach days and long evenings. The shoulder months of April, May, September and October are quieter and often lovely. June to August is cooler and wetter, but it is also whale season and the city is calm.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Cape Town International Airport has direct long-haul flights as well as easy connections through Johannesburg. Most hotels are about 30 minutes from the airport. We suggest three or four nights, enough for one mountain day, one peninsula day and a day for the city or the Winelands, with room for a weather day when the wind blows.

Where We Like to Stay in Cape Town

Ellerman House is an Edwardian house in Bantry Bay, above the Atlantic, with a serious art collection and a wine cellar to match. It suits couples and anyone who prefers a small, quiet house to a big hotel.

Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel is the city's grand old hotel, set in nine acres of gardens below Table Mountain. It is our choice for families and first-time visitors who want space, pools and plenty of places to eat.

Cape Town pairs naturally with the Cape Winelands and the whale coast at Walker Bay before a flight north to the bush.