Why come to visit Cape Town? It’s the glittering sea and the chance to swim with sharks. It’s the green carpeted slopes of that craggy mountain. Because it is, in the words of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, “The fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.” It is vibrant nightlife, excellent cuisine, it is perfect white beaches and the chilly Atlantic. It’s the cool urban edge and jazz and gospel tours. It is a day spent enjoying fine old vineyards and brash township cooking.

Table Mountain, the natural wonder that cradles the city. (Image: mattharvey1, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

Green Market Square, surrounded by the preserved architecture of an old city. (Image: Brian Holsclaw, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

The touristy V&A Waterfront made more dramatic by Mother Nature, clouds draped over Table Mountain. (Image: Eric Bauer, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr)

The canopy walkway at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens changes the way visitors experience the natural wonder that is the city. (Image: David Stanley, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr)

The colour of the Bo Kaap neighbourhood is a reminder of the original Cape Malay population that called it home. (Image: David Stanley, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr)

Night or day Cape Town is best enjoyed outside. (Image: Steve Crane, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, via Flickr)

A mural in Langa, a township that has embraced the tourists who flock to the Mother City. (Image: ser_is_snarkish, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

Cape Town is a city that cycles, a bike Shop in Masiphumelele. (Image: Brian Holsclaw, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

Cape Town is a city of museums and memory. The District Six Museum in the city centre. (Image: ser_is_snarkish, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

Cape Town is a place where the celebration of belief is practiced everywhere. (Image: Mickey Bo, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

Kalk Bay, one of the working harbours around the city. (Image: Clint Mason, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr)

Locals are attracted to Kalk Bay harbour not just for the fishing. Its natural beauty makes it easy to while away days. (Image: jbdodane, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

The commuter train ride from Simons Town to the centre of Cape Town must be one of the most scenic in the world. (Image: jbdodane, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

Change rooms on Muizenberg beach. (Image: Clint Mason, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr)

Baboons are dangerous. (Image: Dom Edwards, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

But Boulders penguins are cute. (Image: Armin Rodler, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

It’s a laid-back sporty city. A windy ocean city ideal for kite-surfing. (Image: Andrew Miller, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

Cape Town is the charm of old bars in Durbanvile. (Image: mallix, BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

And the calm of its many harbours. (Image: Travis Baker, BY NC ND 2.0, via Flickr)

It’s the creativity and inspiration of the Cape Town Jazz Festival. (Image: Andre-Pierre du Plessis, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

And if you can’t afford a ticket, you make your own music with friends. A tavern in Khayalitsha. (Image: talihubner, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)

The Mountain. From any vantage point around the city, Table Mountain dominates. (Image: mattharvey1, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

The city hugs the coast and climbs the slopes. (Image: Victor Bergmann, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr)

Always there is the Mountain. (Image: Saaleha Bamjee, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr)