The most cosmopolitan city in Southern Africa

Cape Town, the oldest city in southern Africa, is regularly heralded as one of the most beautiful attractions on earth. Travel Cape Town and wonder at the massive sandstone bulk of Table Mountain, often draped in a flowing “tablecloth” of clouds which forms an imposing backdrop, while minutes away, pristine sandy beaches line the cliff-hugging coast.

Situated in the country’s far south-western corner, Cape Town is physically separated from the rest of the continent by a barrier of mountains, and it feels and is very different from the rest of Africa. The hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters are Mediterranean. It is by far the most cosmopolitan city in Southern Africa, and you’re as likely to hear locals speak German and French as you are Afrikaans and English. Another Cape Town attraction which is unique is its architectural heritage — Cape Dutch homesteads, neo-Gothic churches, Muslim minarets, and English-inspired Georgian and Victorian buildings speak of the influences of a multifaceted colonial past.

Many who travel Cape Town choose to stay at the Cape Winelands in some of the best-preserved examples of Cape Dutch architecture and sample award-winning wines, a renowned Cape Town attraction. This is a great area in which to base yourself when travelling to Cape Town, if you’re looking for a relaxing, rural escape, with the bright lights of the city a mere 60-minute drive away.

When to travel to Cape Town

Travel in March and April which signal idyllic weather, autumn casts its brightly coloured mantle over the vineyards, generating red, burnished vistas. Overall, the Western Cape climate is typically Mediterranean, with warm, dry summers and mild, moist winters and low summer rainfall.