Cape Town’s Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a magnificent complex usually known simply as the Waterfront. It is named after Queen Victoria and her son Prince Alfred, and occupies the site of the city’s old Victorian harbour. History buffs will be interested to know that Prince Alfred himself presided over the start of construction of the first breakwater here in 1860. The protected inner harbour this created is still called the Alfred Basin. This part of the waterfront sat neglected for many years, then in the 1990s it was redeveloped to become the most popular attraction on the Cape Peninsula for South Africans as well as foreign visitors.

Shop Till You Drop

The Victoria Wharf on the Waterfront is Cape Town’s central shopping facility. It is a huge, flashy mall that occupies two levels. Nearby is the smaller Alfred Mall Shopping Centre. If you’re the sort of tourist who loves to shop-till-you-drop, then this is your shopper’s heaven. It is packed with designer boutiques, specialty gift stores, health and beauty shops, and informal “barrow” stalls that give the mall a festive, market day atmosphere. You can buy everything from jewellery made with genuine South African gold and diamonds, to trendy hand-painted clothing. When you want to take a break from buying and browsing, there are over 40 ethnically diverse eating places to choose from. Nearly all of the food places have harbour views. If the weather is fine, there is outdoor dining on wharfs and waterside platforms and many of the bars and bistros offer live music, with Cape Jazz being a specialty.

The Two Oceans Aquarium

Cape Town has a dramatic maritime location. It occupies a peninsula with the warm Indian Ocean on one side, and the cold Atlantic Ocean on the other and the mingling of the waters creates a unique marine environment. This is reflected in one of the Waterfront’s greatest attractions, the Two Oceans Aquarium. The aquarium has nine galleries of shatterproof glass tanks filled with an astonishing variety of sea creatures, some of them that would definitely be classified as strange. Here you can see psychedelic fish, giant spider crabs, octopuses, sea horses, turtles, and the beautiful devil fire fish whose spines are lethal. In the Agfa Auditorium, you can see videos on South Africa’s marine life and related topics. Below that is the Alpha Activity Centre, which is especially for kids. There are puppet shows, face painting, and computers that allow children to explore marine ecology. Kids and adults alike enjoy the Diving Animals display, where they can watch Cape fur seals playing in the water. On the top floor of the aquarium, visitors can see the Story of Water exhibit, a reconstruction of a river from its source to its mouth. You can also admire the beauty of the Kelp Forest, but by far the most popular exhibit is the one called Predators. Here, you can look directly into the ocean and see large sharks glide by and, at feeding time, divers go down to hand-feed these dangerous animals.

Free Shows

The V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre is a beautiful concert venue that often features free performances of jazz, rock and traditional African music. Sometimes the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra puts on classical concerts. The V&A complex also includes the Table Bay Hotel and the Cape Grace Hotel and the BMW Pavilion, where the company displays its latest models.

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