10 Interesting facts about Cape Town and Cape Peninsula

1. Known as the ‘Mother City’, Cape Town is the largest city in the Western Cape.

2. It was originally established as a supply station in 1652 by Jan Van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company, to provide provisions for their ships sailing between the Netherlands and Batavia.

3. It has a warm Mediterranean climate, with mild, moderately wet winters and dry warm summers. In spring and summer strong southeasterly winds can blow, which are known locally as the Cape Doctor.

4. Its most famous landmark is perhaps Table Mountain and the best views of Cape Town are from the Table Mountain Cableway. The mountain is the centrepiece of the scenic Table Mountain National Park.

5. The renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens are located on the slopes of Table Mountain and are the first botanical gardens in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6. The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of six Floral Kingdoms of the world and is the smallest and by far the most unique. Its Fynbos vegetation is known to have very high plant diversity, density and endemism.

7. Robben Island lies in Table Bay, some 8km from the mainland, and is famous for its prison which incarcarated world icon, Nelson Mandela, for 18 of his 27 years in jail.

8. The V&A Waterfront, situated in the oldest working harbour in the country, is a favourite with local and international visitors. The Waterfront includes various historical landmarks, retail stores and restaurants.

9. Cape Town is home to some of the oldest and most impressive wine farms dating back to the 1650’s. The Constantia Wine Route lies about 20 minutes out of the city and offers largely cool climate wines.

10. Cape Point is situated in the beautiful Table Mountain National Park. It is often mistakenly thought to be the southern most tip of the African continent, but that honour falls to Cape Agulhas, a further 150 km to the southeast.

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Travel Photographs - Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

Have a look at a selection of travel photographs on Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula in South Africa, which we have in our Africa Imagery photo library.