V&A Waterfront Marina
One of Cape Town’s top attractions, the V&A Waterfront offers fine dining, live entertainment, upmarket shopping and sunset yacht cruises.
The Waterfront is undoubtedly one of Cape Town’s top attractions that offer visitors shopping opportunities, fine dining experiences and live entertainment along the harbour’s edge. It is the city’s most stylish retail and entertainment area and is visited by thousands of tourists each year.
Over the past couple of years, the V&A Waterfront has become an important feature in Cape Town’s tourism and entertainment sector and it is renowned for its stylish shops that offer everything from large high-end department stores filled with local and international brands, to beautiful local curios, arts and crafts centres.
The V&A Waterfront is situated just below Table Mountain within the incredible setting of a vibrant working harbour and includes more than 450 stores, a variety of over 80 restaurants, the Two Oceans Aquarium, boat and helicopter rides, art and craft markets, an assortment of leisure attractions, as well as a huge range of activities.
The Waterfront also offers an array of cultural landmarks to explore that vary from museums to ancient buildings, as well as access to one of South Africa’s major heritage sites, Robben Island.
From the harbour holidaymakers can catch a ferry, or book a sunset champagne cruise on one of the beautiful yachts and revel in the antics of the colony of resident Cape Fur Seals frolicking in the ocean waters. Fishermen will enjoy the private deep sea fishing excursions that can be booked right there at one of the many desks along the walkway.
The Waterfront is famous for its extraordinary culinary experiences and diners are treated to outstanding views of the harbour and Table Mountain while they tuck into the delicious local cuisine at the many restaurants, bars and pubs dotted all over the area. There is almost always free entertainment on offer and visitors can expect anything from wandering magicians and mimes to lively stage performances in the outdoor amphitheatre.
A must see attraction is definitely the Wheel of Excellence, the first of its kind in South Africa. This massive observation wheel is an exclusive attraction in the V&A and offers visitors a bird’s-eye view of the bustling harbour, the city centre, Cape Town Stadium, Robben Island, Table Mountain and the Paarl mountain range in the distance. The wheel stands 50m high; it is fully illuminated and features 36 fully enclosed luxury cabins with fully automated glass floors, air conditioning and LED lighting.
- Shopping
- Seal-watching
- Shark cage diving at the Two Oceans
- Aquarium
- Historical guided walking tours
- Ride the Wheel of Excellence
- Boat tours Cape township cycle
- Helicopter flips over Cape Town
- Enjoy the view
The V&A Waterfront can become very busy and overcrowded during the December holidays when it is crammed full of locals and tourists alike. The best time to visit the V&A Waterfront is during summer when temperatures rarely reach above the 35°C mark and the minimum temperature averages around 15°C.
The wonderful thing about the Waterfront is that it’s accessible anytime of the year, as long as the sun is shining it remains perfect weather for shopping and relaxing.
- Over 400 shops
- 80 restaurants
- A working harbour
- Live entertainment
- Thousands of tourists in peak season
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