Cape Town: too many things at once
Is it possible to watch a breathtaking sunset over a white sand beach from the terrace of a boutique hotel? Yes, of course you can. But is it possible to do it while you taste an exquisite local Chardonnay and, not one, but TWO whales cross the horizon and dive into the water revealing their tail? That is already more complicated, but not impossible, or at least, not in Cape Town, one of the most versatile cities in the world , where there is room from the most scrupulous gourmet to the intrepid adventurer in search of strong sensations.
Describing Cape Town in a few words is impossible, because it is too many things at once: overwhelming nature , a unique location with the Table Mountain presiding over the landscape, a refined gastronomy and wine culture, a mild climate throughout the year. Not entirely convinced? The South African capital is also the africa design epicenter where creators and stylists compete to leave their mark on hotels and restaurants, from the colorful Afro-chic to the most avant-garde style.
In Conde Nast Traveler we are sure that Cape Town is capable of moving even the most skeptical of you. Here are five reasons for you to believe us:
View of Cape Town and Table Mountain
1)Architecture and design: stroll through the city center, (known as City Bowl ) is to find remnants of a formidable architectural legacy, art-deco buildings, a financial center that with its skyscrapers transports us to New York itself. For some reason, the producers of the film 'The Lord of War' with Nicolás Cage chose Cape Town as the location to shoot scenes that were actually set in the Big Apple.
The urban landscape changes radically along the mythical Long Street, where Victorian buildings, colorful facades of restaurants and bars, ultra-chic hotels converge where the design is taken to the extreme. And to make the mix even more varied, we find several mosques, such as Nor. et Hamedia and Palm Tree (Islamism is strongly rooted in Cape Town, at 10% of the population) .
As a climax, we must not forget a building of great symbolism, the City Hall where Mandela addressed the nation after his release in February 1990, after 28 years in prison, and later in 1994, when his party, the mythical ANC, won the elections and Mandela became the first democratically elected president of the Nation of the rainbow.
camps bay beach
2) Strong emotions: In the town of Gaansbai, an hour and a half east of Cape Town, it is possible not only to see sharks, but to swim with them... yes, an iron cage protects the daring on duty from these predators that can measure three meters long. The sharks are lured into a cage where up to four people share a place to live the unique experience of seeing these animals face to face. They say that Brad Pitt or Matt Damon were here.
3)Explore the vineyards . The culture of wine (of good wine) is deeply rooted in Cape Town. Almost any restaurant offers a careful wine list with a profuse description of each of them. The waiters are always well informed and do not skimp on offering the customer to try this or that wine until he is fully satisfied with his choice.
For some reason South Africa is the ninth wine product in the world and the Cape Peninsula is the quintessential wine region. Stellenbosch , 40 minutes from Cape Town, is considered the wine capital of the country and the perfect place to start your wine immersion. More than a hundred wineries dot the spectacular vineyard landscape. There is one for every taste, minimalist design like Tokaji , more traditional as Thelema but with an equally impeccable decoration, or with panoramic views like that of Boschendal where it would be possible to stay all afternoon in front of the fireplace tasting wines and more wines.
Some wineries organize plane trips to enjoy a picnic in the middle of the vineyards, of course accompanied by a good house wine. An experience in the purest “Out of Africa” style.
Boschendal Cellars
3) Follow in the footsteps of Mandela and Apartheid. On Robben Island, an islet barely half an hour by ferry from Cape Town, is home to one of the most infamous prisons in South African history. Nelson Mandela, leader of the anti-Apartheid movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, spent 18 of the 27 years he was imprisoned until his release in 1990.
Visiting this prison and the cells of Mandela and other political prisoners means embarking on a journey in the struggle for political equality for the black population in South Africa and the restitution of their dignity as free men. The guides are former prisoners who tell first-hand about their vicissitudes in this high-security prison. On the walls of some of the meager cells some prisoners left overwhelming testimonies about their confinement.
4) The Townships, not just voyeurism: Cape Town is the first city in Africa in quality of life, but we must not forget that this is South Africa and that less than twenty years ago the Apartheid regime, based on a rigid separation of races, was in force. Under this system, millions of people of color across South Africa were forced from their homes and live confined in areas created specifically for them . While the whites stayed in the best areas, the black population was displaced to authentic shanty towns, the townships.
Cape Town did not escape this inhumane policy either, District Six, one of the most cosmopolitan neighborhoods in the city and epicenter of artists, where a heterogeneous population of blacks, Indians, mestizos and Afrikaners lived together it was dismantled in the 70s. The area was classified as exclusively for the white population. Its strategic position between the port and the city center made it a highly coveted area for builders of luxurious buildings for whites. Its residents, some 60,000, were expelled mostly to Langa, a Township located in the Eastern Cape.
At the District Six Museum in the City bowl, this picturesque neighborhood is recreated before the cranes destroyed it. The ex-residents themselves contribute with their annotations on the panels to keep its spirit alive. Hence a visit to Township of Langa , essential to understand not only how Apartheid worked, but also to understand that although a long way has been traveled since its abolition in 1994, the reality is that today the living conditions of the black population continue to be very harsh
5) A beach with penguins in the middle of summer? Another example of the overwhelming nature of the area is boulders beach it houses a colony of 3,000 African penguins. There are so many that you can even swim with them in the turquoise waters, as long as you resist the intense smell they give off and take care that one of them does not give you a peck. If the animal proximity arouses mistrust, seeing them from the "security barrier" also has its charm. If you combine the penguins with a visit to the fishing village of Kalk Bay , the ideal place to enjoy a gastronomic tribute based on fish, the day will be very, very well spent.
The typical colored houses of Kalk Bay