Cape Town
It is the second most populated city and legislative capital of the country, where both the National Parliament and many other government headquarters are located. It is famous for its port, its flora, the Table Mountain and Punta del Cabo. It is the most popular tourist destination in Africa with an average of 1.5 million tourists annually. The arrival of the Dutch navigator Jan van Riebeeck on April 6, 1652, marked the establishment of the first European settlement in sub-Saharan Africa. It ranks 85th among cities in the world for its level and quality of life, being the first city in South Africa and Africa. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for South African immigrants and expatriates. In 2014, it was named World Design Capital by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design and the best place in the world to visit by the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph. It has a variety of sports such as climbing, diving, golf and paragliding, among others. Its beaches are ideal for water sports, including surfing, windsurfing and kayaking. The most popular is diving, with which it is common to find shark caves.
Places of tourist interest to complete the visit to Cape Town:
- Table Mountain:It has become an icon of the city. Approximately 300 million years ago, during the Karoo Ice Age, it was not a mountain, it was at sea level, but what was underneath were layers of sandstone laid on a granite base, When the continents separated and underlying water pressure worked with the ice, the city's famous landmark was naturally created. It is one of the 7 Wonders of Nature and a much photographed iconic landmark.
- Boulders Beach: It is Located on the Cape Peninsula, near the town of Simon's Town, it is part of the Table Mountain National Park and is the usual habitat of penguins, an area where you can swim with these animals. It is formed by water inlets between granite rocks, from which its name in English is derived. It is also commonly known as Boulders Bay. It is a popular tourist stop due to a colony of African penguins that settled here in 1982. Although located in the middle of a residential area, it is one of the few places where birds such as the Cape penguin that are often found can be observed. roaming freely in a protected natural environment.
- Robben Island or Seal Island :Located very close to Cape Town, its recent fame comes from having been a prison during part of the 20th century where political prisoners of the Apartheid regime were detained, among them the leader of the anti-apartheid movement stands out. and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned there for 27 years. Nowadays, with the prison closed, and having been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the island has become a popular tourist destination reached by ferry from the city. A curious fact related to the island is that gold coins have sometimes been found on its coasts over the centuries, this is because at the end of the 17th century a ship loaded with gold coins shipwrecked on its coasts, being lost. all your load. This treasure still remains in the waters around the island.