As I continue the ongoing saga of Nine of Cups’ From There to Here, I feel like Charles Dickens serializing Great Expectations in the local newspaper each week. Uruguay proved to be a wonderful place for us. We enjoyed the people, the town and the laid-back ambiance of the whole country. Their motto seems to be “Tranquilo” … and tranquil it was.
Read MoreThis is a blog post from May, 2015. Cape Town is such a great town, I thought it was worth another look.
It's known as the Mother City, the oldest city in South Africa. It's been called the Tavern of the Seas, a crossroads on the clipper ship route, famous as a place for meeting and “refreshing”. In 2014, it was named the best place in the world to visit by both The New York Times and London's Daily Telegraph. Lonely Planet placed it as #2 for best value destination in 2015. Cradled snugly in the lush bowl formed where the Atlantic and Table Mountain meet, Cape Town is, without a doubt, one of the most vibrant, beautiful cities we've ever visited.
There's so much to do and so much to see, you really need some time to take it all in. We're so fortunate to have visited twice for a month each time. There's much, much more, but we're happy to share with you our picks for the top things to see and do in Cape Town.
1. Table Mountain
It's the backdrop for the whole city. You can hike up or take the cable car. Take a look at the mountain before you head there. Pick a clear, calm day. The views are spectacular and the walks on the plateau at the top are easy and interesting with unparalleled vistas in every direction. Consider purchasing tickets on-line in advance to cut down some of the waiting time. Early morning has shorter lines. You can also hike to the top of Lions Head for outstanding views and drive to the top of Signal Hill for views and the firing of the Noon Gun.
2. Robben Island
You cannot leave Cape Town without having visited Robben Island, Nelson Mandela's prison for 18 of his 27 years of incarceration. The museum is interesting, but it is the tour of the island, seeing Mandela's cell, observing the conditions under which the prisoners lived, the stone quarries in which they worked and listening to the accounts of former prisoners that all hit you emotionally. A 9-mile (~15km) ferry ride brings you to the island where you board a bus for the guided tour.
3. Cape Point and Boulders Beach
Part of the Table Mountain National Park, visit Cape Point for spectacular views and up close encounters with local wildlife. Stand on the Cape of Good Hope, see the lighthouse at the tip of the Cape, take a look at the Dias Cross, but watch out for the Chacma baboons. They're cheeky. Not far away is Simon's Town and Boulders Beach where you can swim with African penguins that call the beach home. There's a national parks fee to enter Boulders Beach, but further up the beach closer to Simon's Town, there are penguins and no admission fees.
4. V&A Waterfront
It's busy and frenetic and definitely a don't-miss part of Cape Town. Shops, restaurants, a high-end mall, hotels, diamonds, museums, pubs, an aquarium, free movies, souvenirs galore, the Cape Wheel, buskers, the iconic Clock Tower, Cape Wheel, a swing bridge, souvenirs ... did I mention diamonds? It's all there. Walking around and enjoying the atmosphere is absolutely free. Diamonds? Well, there's a slight charge for those.
5. Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
Bequeathed to the country by mining magnate and politician, Cecil John Rhodes, Kirstenbosch lies at the foot of Table Mountain and offers a wonderful respite from the busy city. Bring a picnic lunch and plan your visit when there's an evening concert.
6. Company's Garden and Downtown Museums
There are lots of museums in Cape Town and we certainly didn't get a chance to visit them all. We can recommend these four, for sure.
7. Winelands Touring
South Africa has the second oldest wine-producing industry in the world, second only to Europe. Constantia is the oldest winery in the country and there are officially 17 wine routes, mostly concentrated in the Western Cape. The longest wine route in the world is said to be Route 62, a lovely route with vineyards and tasting rooms galore.
8. Downtown Walk
There's lots to be said for just walking around downtown and taking it all in. There's Greenmarket Square for cafes, antiques and Africana. Browse along St. George's Pedestrian Mall. Try the PanAfrican Market for locally produced, high quality crafts. Bo Kaap is the Malay Quarter and its brightly colored houses and cobblestone streets are interesting to wander. Try Atlas Trading for a spices, candles and incense. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore. Be streetwise and enjoy yourself.
A couple of notes …
Though Cape Town is a beautiful, dynamic city, it's only a small part of what South Africa has to offer. Game parks, scenery, wild animals along the roadside … get out of the city if you can.
Visit the Nine of Cups South Africa page for more insight, ideas and photos
David was adamant that he wanted to climb Jacob's Ladder. It's a thing tourists do on St. Helena Island ... though the Saints themselves seldom do it any more. I mean, why would you if you don't have to? You can see the ladder from most any point in Jamestown … clinging to the mountainside.
At night, the steps are illuminated and make a wonderful sight from afar.
Originally built in 1829 as a tramway, the “ladder” was initially used to remove manure from cattle and livestock in Jamestown and haul it “up country” to improve soil conditions. Donkeys were hitched to a windlass at the top to haul carts up the steep inclined plane. People traveled in boxes. A trip to the top took 7.5 minutes. Really? I'm thinking this might take me a bit longer. Standing at the bottom, the top looked a long, long way up, up, up as it stretched to the heavens.
We chose mid-morning for this strenuous task while it was still cool. We started at the base of the steps near the Museum. Did I mention Jacob's Ladder has 699 steps? 699 uneven, crumbling, steep, steep steps!
Fairy terns and tropic birds soared gracefully above and below us as we climbed. I found any excuse to stop and take a rest. A few flowers poking up through the volcanic rock along the side? Absolutely a photo opp.
Oh, here's some graffitti that I feel I should photograph.
Ah, more views of the wharf …
And the half way mark (thank goodness!)
and the red-roofed town of Jamestown below.
Finally, we made it to the top. David was barely winded. Me? Well, let's just say I made it and leave it at that. The record for climbing the ladder is 5 minutes and change. Our time? 34 minutes, 20 seconds. The views made the climb worthwhile (really!). Nine of Cups looked so tiny down below as a tropic bird swooped over her.
At the top of Ladder Hill stands the Ladder Hill Fort, one of the first lines of military defense built by the early settlers. It's in pretty sad shape, but still interesting to walk around.
Some of the old buildings are occupied or used for storage, but most are showing the effects of time and weathering.
Now, of course, we needed to get back down. We chose the long, steep, switchbacked road down to town. The ladder would have been quicker, but we'd already seen those sights. The fastest way down? Some of the locals slide down the handrails on their backs, using their arms and legs as brakes. Yikes! We took the the road.
We noticed a plaque on the cliff above the road as we were heading down in memory of nine people who were killed by a massive rockfall in 1890. Massive chain nets and fences now line the faces of the cliffs to prevent such occurrences.
It was a long, steep walk down, but we finally made it to sea level again. We stopped at the Standard Pub for a well-deserved beer and then made our way down Main Street to the ferry dock for a ride back to Cups … exhausted, and just a little bit chuffed! It's going to be an Ibuprofen night!
Want to climb Jacob's Ladder with us? Take a look at this video.
Hi there and welcome to Just A Little Further!
We are David and Marcie Lynn and we've lived aboard our Liberty 458 cutter-rigged sailboat since 2000.
What began as an urge to travel slowly and economically at our own pace ended up an adventure of a lifetime.
Well, here we are ... nearly 90,000 miles under the keel, 5 continents, 5 Great Southern Capes, 36 countries and almost two decades later, still taking one passage at a time and going just a little further.
