A working harbour you can walk through, and the most visited corner of the city.
The V&A Waterfront is a working harbour that visitors are allowed to walk through, and that is the whole of its character. Tugs and fishing boats still move in the basins while people eat alongside them, and the neighbourhood describes itself as having been alive for over 160 years.
It is now 123 hectares carrying some 26 million people a year, which makes it one of the most visited urban destinations in Africa. That scale is worth knowing before you arrive: this is not a quiet corner of the city.
What justifies it is the density of things worth doing. The aquarium, the contemporary art museum in the old grain silo, the food markets, the craft market halls and a working clock tower are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other, with Table Mountain filling the view behind.
It is also the departure point for Robben Island, which for many visitors is the single most important thing they will do in Cape Town, and boats leave from here for the bay and the coast.
Practically, it is the easiest place in the city to spend a day without a car, and the easiest to fill a rainy one.
Yes. The Robben Island departure point is at the Waterfront, and for many visitors it is the single most important thing they do in Cape Town.
Yes. Tugs and fishing boats continue to use the basins alongside the restaurants and shops, and the neighbourhood has been in use for over 160 years.
Very. It covers 123 hectares and carries around 26 million people a year, making it one of the most visited urban destinations in Africa. Weekday mornings are the calmest.
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