An important naval base for more than 200 years, Simon's Town is located on the shores of False Bay, not far from Cape Town, and is a popular tourist destination. The most popular attraction in Simon's Town is the penguin colony at Boulders Beach: one of only three mainland colonies of African penguins in the country.
Victorian-style buildings with wrought-iron balconies and 24/7 street life make Long Street Cape Town’s answer to New Orleans’ French Quarter. It’s where locals go to party and backpackers go to sleep. Expect everything from late-night clubs, cocktail bars, and pool halls to cafés, restaurants, vintage stores, and even an antique arcade.
A historic town in the Cape Winelands, Paarl is often overlooked in favor of more photogenic Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. But there’s plenty to do here, from wine tastings, farm tours, and winery tours, to paragliding, hiking, abseiling, climbing, and even off-road motorbiking in Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve.
On the grounds of the Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate, L’Ormarins, the Franschhoek Motor Museum is a tribute to founder Anthonij Rupert’s passion for cars. Home to well over 200 heritage vehicles, from a 19th-century motor tricycle to a 2003 Ferrari supercar and a 1950 Norton motorbike, it’s a must for any car lover visiting the Western Cape.
The Chavonnes Battery Museum in Cape Town houses the remains of an old cannon battery, one of the fortifications the Dutch East India Company (VOC) built at the beginning of the 18th century to protect against seaborne aggressors. It is said to have taken over a decade to complete the battery, which stood at what is now the V&A Waterfront.
Stretching from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to the tip of the Cape of Good Hope, the Cape Peninsula’s Atlantic Coast is lined with beaches, viewpoints, and towns. Choices in where and how to enjoy the coast range from the partygoer hubs of Green Point and Sea Point to the expansive beaches and resorts of Hout Bay and Camps Bay.
An informal settlement, Imizamo Yethu sits above Hout Bay in Cape Town as a collection of colorful shacks, many built from scrap metal. Residents come from different South African cultures and most remain disadvantaged, with the site plagued by fires, but Imizamo Yethu has a positive energy that’s distinctly South African.
South Africa’s Swartland region is known for its wineries, yet it is far less visited than the more celebrated Cape Winelands. With its largely dry growing conditions, Swartland produces some of the best wines in the country and boasts stunning scenery dotted with golden wheat fields, olive groves, vineyards, and mountains.
