South Africa
Cape Town
6 landmarks3 UNESCO
The Mother City — Table Mountain rising above the sea, Robben Island, the Cape of Good Hope, Bo-Kaap's painted houses, and the end of a continent.
Landmarks
0 / 6 visited
Must-seeUNESCOScenic ViewTable Mountain
One of the world's most iconic geographical features — a flat-topped mountain rising 1,086 meters directly above Cape Town, cloaked in a unique fynbos ecosystem with over 2,200 plant species found nowhere else on earth. Voted one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. The cable car ascends to a summit with 360° views of Cape Town, the Atlantic, and the Cape Peninsula. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Must-seeUNESCOWorld HeritageRobben Island
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned here for 18 of his 27 years behind bars. Robben Island served as a political prison during apartheid, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression. Tours of the prison are led by former political prisoners.
Must-seeUNESCOScenic ViewCape of Good Hope
The dramatic southwesternmost tip of the Cape Peninsula — for centuries believed to be the southernmost point of Africa (actually Cape Agulhas is). The Cape of Good Hope was first rounded by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, opening the sea route to India. Today it's part of the Table Mountain National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site, populated by baboons, ostriches, and eland.
Local IconBo-Kaap
Cape Town's most photographed neighborhood — a hillside of brightly painted Cape Dutch houses representing the Cape Malay community, descendants of slaves and political exiles brought from Southeast Asia and India in the 18th century. The Nurul Islam Mosque (1844) and the Bo-Kaap Museum preserve the district's unique cultural heritage.
City LandmarkV&A Waterfront
Cape Town's iconic working harbour, developed in 1860 under Queen Victoria and Prince Alfred and now Africa's most visited destination. The V&A Waterfront combines a working port with museums, restaurants, hotels, and stunning views of Table Mountain. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) is the most significant African art museum.
Scenic ViewBoulders Beach
A sheltered beach within the Table Mountain National Park, home to a colony of 3,000 African penguins — one of the only places in the world where you can swim alongside them. The African penguin (once called 'jackass penguin' for its braying call) is an endangered species native only to the southern African coast.
