Cape Town and the Cape penninsula
Relaxed and cosmopolitan, the Cape is an ideal gateway into Africa. At its heart is Cape Town, one of the world’s great cities, cradled by mountains, ringed by beaches and bathed in clear ocean waters. In addition to having notable attractions of its own, it is also the perfect base for exploring the beautiful Cape Peninsula, striking north to the remote and haunting Cederberg Mountains, or simply taking a short drive to the Winelands region, an area of pretty, historic towns, inspiring mountains, rolling vineyards and attractive country hotels. To the south-east is the Whale Coast, where annual whale migrations bring these gentle giants to within metres of the shore
Table Mountain defines and dominates Cape Town, sandwiching the city up against the ocean. A cable car to the summit affords spectacular views, with Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his incarceration, lying just offshore. Much of the port area has been redeveloped into The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a symbol of the new, vibrant South Africa with a huge variety of shops, restaurants and entertainment. The Cape Malay quarter, Bo-Kaap, with its distinctive pastel-hued houses, and the District Six museum, near the site of a coloured slum razed by the apartheid regime, tell of the polyglot past and present of Cape Town. Stretching away to the south are the more exclusive suburbs of the city, such as Camps Bay, with an array of superb beaches and restaurants.
The Cape region and Garden Route have a mediteranean climate similar to the south of France, with summers, from October through April, warm with occasional rain (and more wind in Cape Town). Possibly the best time to visit Cape Town is late summer when it is cooler , but quite dry and less windy. Winters, from May through September are cool, although the days are usually clear and dry.