VICTORIA & ALFRED WATERFRONT

Next, we circled around the iconic Table Mountain and through the streets of Cape Town’s cosmopolitan city center, headed for Table Bay and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Named after Queen Victoria and her second son Prince Alfred, who actually dumped the first load of rock into the sea to commence the construction of the breakwater, today’s retail and hospitality development is set around what is still a busy working harbor and marina.

The V&A Waterfront includes shopping malls, entertainment complexes and five-star hotels. Stylish and chic, the nautically themed buildings lining the quays are aimed at locals and tourists alike, offering everything from simple cafés and bargain stores to fine-dining and upscale boutiques. There is also the gigantic Two Oceans Aquarium (aquarium.co.za), which showcases the marine life of both the Indian and Atlantic oceans, and some fine museums, such as the Iziko Maritime Centre (iziko.org.za/maritime). Exhibits here include a sizeable collection of model ships and displays showing the vital role played by seafaring in the early days of the Cape Colony.Visit waterfront.co.za BT