The beautiful suburbs south of Cape Town have been growing in popularity as a good place from which to explore the city. These neighbourhoods extend east from the slopes of Table Mountain, and south toward the coast of False Bay. Here you will find excellent hotels and first rate guest houses. There are plenty of good restaurants and venues for entertainment, as well as great shopping. The streets are lined with Victorian and Cape Dutch houses. From here it is only a twenty minute drive to the heart of the city.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

Just south of the Cape Town suburb of Newlands are the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the most important botanical collections in the world. The Cape Floral Kingdom of the Western Cape is one of the world’s six major floral kingdoms. Of the estimated 8,600 species of plants it contains, 5,800 of them are found nowhere else on earth in a wild state. The magnificent Kirstenbosch Gardens, located under looming Table Mountain, contain about 7,000 of these species. This is a place where you could easily spend a day following the many walking trails from one gorgeous section to another. This is a must-see for any visitor to Cape Town.

Birthplace of the Wine Industry

Constantia lies on the lower slopes of Table Mountain and the Constantia Mountains, and has lovely views of False Bay. This was the birthplace of the South African wine industry. It was here in 1685 that the governor of Cape Town, Simon Van der Stel, planted the colony’s first vines. He had an estate here, and was soon followed by others of the colony’s social elite. Thus, the community has many examples of beautiful old Cape Dutch architecture. The Groot Constantia estate is still an active winery, and visitors can go through Van der Stel’s manor house, which has been fully restored and is now a popular Cape Town museum. Two other beautiful estates on the Klein Constantia Road are Klein Constantia and Buitenverwachting. Klein Constantia makes Vin de Constance, a dessert wine that was one of Napoleon’s favourites. Visitors can now buy it in replicas of the original bottle.

Museums and Memorials

The suburb of Rosebank is the location of the Irma Stern Museum, which is in the Expressionist artist’s former home. Nearby is the Baxter Theatre Complex, one of the most important centres for the arts in Cape Town. In Rondebosch, south of Rosebank, you can see many fine old Victorian buildings, including the grand looking University of Cape Town. On the slopes of Devil’s Peak you will see the stone steps and majestic stone lions that lead up to the magnificent Rhodes Memorial. This monument in the form of a Greek temple is a memorial to the 19th century South African statesman Cecil Rhodes. The views from here are spectacular.

South African Rugby Museum

The suburb of Newlands is of great importance to sports fans in Cape Town and across the country. This is the site of Norwich Park, headquarters of the Western Province Cricket and Rugby Unions, and the site of international rugby and cricket matches. Newlands also has the South African Rugby Museum, the largest museum of its kind in the world. It is practically a shrine to the beloved national team, the Springboks. Also of interest to visitors here is the Josephine Mill, which is an old watermill that is still in operation. The mill is the office of the Cape Town Historical Society. Be sure to go to the suburb of Maynardville for the open air Shakespearean Festival in the summer.

Author Bio: Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in luxury, tailor-made Cape Town holidays, as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.

Category: Travel
Keywords: Cape Town