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The V&A Waterfront is easily one of Africa’s most visited destinations and is loved by local Capetonians and visitors alike. What makes it unique is this attraction is set in the oldest working harbour in South Africa, so visitors can shop, explore and experience alongside cruise ships and giant fishing trawlers being serviced in the dry docks as well as admire the luxury catamarans and super yachts in the millionaire’s marina, all with iconic Table Mountain standing guard over the V&A Waterfront providing a classic backdrop.
The V&A Waterfront literally has something for everyone. It offers more than 75 food spaces, luxury hotels, five museums, an entire mall of indoor retail shops featuring just about everything your heart could desire including designer stores, local art and crafts, high street retail stalwarts and simply tons of speciality stores, whilst the Watershed is a large indoor space featuring some of the best locally produced craft and design. There is free live entertainment in the amphitheatre 365 days a year often showcasing local music. In addition there is a multitude of adventure activities and day tours on offer ranging from boat and sunset cruises, helicopter flights, The Big Wheel which affords amazing views of the docks and mountain and city bowl, as well as a multitude of talented buskers and musicians that entertain the crowds. You can happily spend a couple of days here soaking up the vibrant and diverse culture and fun atmosphere.
The V&A Waterfront is also home to the outstanding and new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) – set in the historic Grain Silo building which is home to the world’s largest collection of contemporary art from Africa. The luxury Silo hotel with its iconic glass windows is just next door and the newer section of the waterfront at the Clocktower provides hours of people watching.
Sip a cocktail at a roof top vantage point, enjoy a decadent lunch with Table Mountain as your backdrop and it’s not hard to understand why the V&A Waterfront is one of the top attractions in Africa.
Little people are spoilt for choice here with safe and imaginative children’s play areas as well as themed boat rides around the harbour and into the bay, special children’s holiday programs, face painting, train rides, reptile interaction, the Two Oceans Aquarium, kid-friendly live entertainment and lots of adventure and fun. If your little ones love to skateboard, scooter or rollerblade then Battery Park is free of charge dedicated skaters area and also offers basketball courts and a grassed and garden area for picnic’s and relaxing while the children enjoy. Also look out for the free electric tuk-tuk that will happily whizz you around the waterfront – you just need to be in the know, he is normally parked just outside the Big Wheel, the same place as you can catch the Hamley’s train!
The Canal links the V&A Waterfront and the Cape Town Convention Centre (CTICC). Apart from it offering scenic pedestrian landscaped walkways and bridges you can also try your hand at some fun activities like stand up paddling or kayaking on the canal, or simply catch a water taxi for a novel way to get around.
Cape Town has a multitude of attractions that we affectionately call the Big 7: The Table Mountain Cableway, Robben Island, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Groot Constantia, Boulders Beach and its colony of penguins. The V&A Waterfront remains firmly near the top of this must-do list.
