South African Airways

Cape Town’s defining landmark is its greatest tourist attraction. The cable cars to the summit are large, circular carriages which rotate slowly so that everyone inside can see everything. Try to visit in the morning because the “tablecloth” – a blanket of mist – often descends in the afternoon, obliterating the view. Vistas from the top are glorious and there are paths to various viewpoints. A bistro on the summit is a wonderful spot for sundowners. You can also hike up the mountain and take the cable car down (or vice versa), but it’s no easy climb, with sheer cliff, buffeting and unpredictable winds and the occasional mugger. If you’re determined to walk, book a guide.

Gentrification reaches its peak in the V&A Waterfront, with a harbour developed into a haven for tourism, culture, leisure and business. Victorian warehouses were renovated and expanded and the area now features craft markets, an aquarium, shopping malls, masses of restaurants, cinemas and some of the city’s poshest hotels. Cruise boats tout for business and it’s worth taking one to admire the city from a distance. The Waterfront pulsates at night as a wining and dining hotspot, with glorious views, street musicians and a warm, lively atmosphere. There’s also a large ferris wheel for spectacular views of the sea and city.

This world-class aquarium houses 3 000 marine species, including sharks, turtles and a colony of penguins in light and airy display areas. Feeding sessions in the huge predators’ tanks are a highlight. A Children’s Centre offers fun activities for kids aged four to 10. A bird hide overlooks a rockhopper penguin rookery, or you can try diving with the ragged-tooth sharks, rays and turtles.

A trip to Robben Island is an emotional experience, as its infamous prison was where Nelson Mandela endured 18 of his 27 years’ captivity. It’s 12km off the mainland and Robben Island Tours leave from an exhibition centre at the V&A Waterfront. The centre sets a sombre tone before the sometimes choppy ferry ride takes you to a point from which you can tour the prison. You can briefly enclose yourself in Mandela’s tiny cell, then visit the quarry, where prisoners laboured in baking sun or bitter cold. The guides are former political prisoners who share their own experiences of being jailed for fighting white domination.

This magnificent garden ranks as one of the top botanical spots in the world and boast 5 000 indigenous species. Beautiful, formal gardens are dotted with African sculptures, while other areas include a protea garden, a water-wise garden and a fragrance garden. Pack a picnic, hike through the fynbos shrubbery or time your visit to coincide with the summer Sunday sunset concerts from November to April.

Elegant architecture, lively craft markets, street musicians and sunshine make Cape Town perfect for walking tours. Join an official tour or simply take a stroll. The Company Gardens were planted in 1652 to serve as a fruit and vegetable supply for the Dutch navy and now feed cheeky squirrels. Around the gardens are St George’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, the South African National Gallery, the South African Museum, the Planetarium and the Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre. St George’s was a hotbed of anti-apartheid resistance and the site of many political rallies, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu as its archbishop. Greenmarket Square nearby has an arts and crafts market that also sells antiques and clothes. There are many pavement cafés in the centre too.

The hop-on, hop-off red open-top sightseeing bus is an excellent way to orientate yourself and see all the city's highlights. The Red Route takes in the V&A Waterfront, Sea Point, District Six, Table Mountain’s cable car station and Camps Bay. The longer Blue Mini-Peninsula Tour covers the city before driving out to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the bird gardens at Hout Bay, a local township and the coastal strip of Camps Bay. Jump off there for ice-cream or cocktails.

The Cape boasts some spectacular beaches, although the nippy Atlantic Ocean is often better for looking at than swimming in. There’s a beach for every taste: wild and rugged, surfing spots, the trendy set and nudist hangouts. Beaches around Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek – on the Indian Ocean seaboard – are warmed by a current and have smaller waves that make them family-friendly. Kalk Bay’s is worth a day visit in its own right for a stroll around the harbour and its eclectic shops, boutiques, antique emporiums and trendy restaurants.

Long Street in the city centre is a funky, hippie-chic, vibey area for the young at heart or the backpacker crowd. There are fashion boutiques and stores selling old books, music, crafts and antiques, plus a wide selection of bars and a few notoriously over-eager bouncers. Mama Africa is packed every evening by diners enjoying African-themed food like the Game Grill, with crocodile, ostrich, springbok and kudu, while an enthusiastic marimba bands play on certain evenings. However, don’t stay in a hotel in this area unless you plan to spend your nights partying, rather than trying to sleep.

The winelands are a must and there are plenty of routes to choose from, taking you through stunning mountain scenery to gorgeous old wine estates built in the distinctive Cape Dutch architecture. Constantia Wine Route is one of the closest, taking in renowned estates like Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia and Buitenverwachting. Most estates charge for tastings, some run cellar tours and several of the country’s finest restaurants are on the wine farms.

Cable cars and hiking boots are for sissies! Try coming down from a mountain in a tandem paraglider. Cape Town Tandem Paragliding is run by professional pilots who fly from Signal Hill and Lion’s Head.

Contrary to popular belief, this windswept peninsula isn’t where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. They actually meet at Cape L'Agulhas to the east, but Cape Point still provides spectacular ocean views and great hiking territory. Silvermine, the nature reserve you drive through to get there, contains zebra, lynx, antelope and ostrich, as well as baboons that may pinch your windscreen wipers if the mood strikes. A restaurant is perched on the cliff above the Atlantic and you can hike or take a funicular railway to a lighthouse at the top.