Cape Town Waterfront – A great time in the harbour district

Capetonians and visitors alike flock to the vibrant harbour district, the Cape Town Waterfront. Formally a low working-class residential area for fishermen and their families right next to the city centre, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has become one of Cape Town’s most popular tourist attractions.

A multitude of shops, restaurants and cafés are dotted around three harbour basins. Visitors can stroll through the hustle and bustle while being entertained by music groups and other talented artists. Art lovers will enjoy the architecture and exhibitions at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art.

If you want to see the harbour from the sea side, there are dozens of excursion boats, ranging from fancy yachts to pirate ships, waiting to take tourists on harbour tours and out into Table Bay. A visit to the infamous Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and many others spent decades behind bars, is one of Cape Town’s must-see attractions. To get there, hop on one of the ferries that only leave from the V & A Waterfront.

A little bit off the beaten path, you’ll find the cruise terminal, where large cruise liners dock while spending time in Cape Town on their tours. On your way there, you’ll pass some dry docks, where ships are being repaired. There is so much to see on a walk around the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

An overview of the Waterfront

A leisurely walk for a first impression takes about 2 hours. Most visitors enter the area near the ferries wheel located in front of the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre. It offers great views of the harbour from above. Right next to you can see an amphitheatre, where sometimes concerts are performed. From there, visitors immediately see the Victoria Basin. It was one of the two original harbour basins, but these days you will only find leisure boats offering harbour cruises in it, as it is too small for container ships.

Turn right after the wheel and after about 200 m you will see a small red tower, the Clock Tower, formally the office of the harbour captain. Before you can get there though, you need to cross the connecting channel between Victoria Basin and Alfred Basin on a swing bridge. If a boat wants to pass through here, the small footbridge moves aside, while pedestrians wait on either side waving to the boat. Directly at the Clock Tower Square is the Nelson Mandela Gateway, the pier to Robben Island.

Another main feature of the Waterfront is the Two Oceans Aquarium, located at the Alfred Basin. In there, also known as the Marina District, you can see dozens of yachts mooring. If you bought a ticket of the red sightseeing bus, stop number 1 is right in front of the aquarium, and their harbour tours also start behind the aquarium, where plenty of seals cavort in the water or sunbath on pontoons.

A visit to Robben Island

If you were lucky enough to get one of the sought-after tickets for Robben Island on your desired date, you can now embark on a journey into South African history. Many opponents of the apartheid were imprisoned on Robben Island. The Robben Island tour includes a guided tour through the prison by former inmates and a bus tour around the small island.

Boat tours & sailing trips

Trips with one of the catamarans and the sailing ships are particularly recommendable. A sunset tour with a magnificent view of Table Mountain is an unforgettable experience. Tours can be booked right along the promenade.

Restaurants on the Waterfront

Visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants. There is something for every palate. Some restaurants also offer a view of the harbour basin, where you can relax and watch the hustle and bustle. At the V&A Food Market, over 40 stalls offer delicious food. It is ideal for when you only want to have a bite or groups with many different preferences. Sit outside at the Nobel Square and listen to the musicians often playing there.

Shops at the Waterfront

For many visitors, however, shopping is the main reason for visiting Cape Town’s Waterfront. The facts are impressive: hundreds of shops of all sizes in two shopping malls offer everything from fashion to jewellery to country-specific souvenirs and electronics. At the African Trading Port, you can buy handicraft products from Africa. At the Watershed, located next to the Two Oceans Aquarium, the variety of high-quality art and craft is even greater.

A working harbour

Unlike many other waterfronts around the world, the one in Cape Town is not just a leisure district, but a working harbour with dry docks and container ship terminals. The dry docks in the Alfred Basin are particularly interesting. Here, you can watch workers repair large fishing boats, trawlers and other ships from less than 20 metres away.

Hotels at the Waterfront

There are several five-star hotels at the Waterfront such as the Cape Grace Hotel, the Silo Hotel and the One & Only. Just a 2-minute walk from the water’s edge is the Break Water Lodge, a former prison for convicts, who built the original harbour.