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| Home / Articles / Top Attractions / V&A Waterfont |
| V&A Waterfont |
If you’ve been to Cape Town, you know all about the V&A Waterfont, and if you are still to visit, you have to know that you cannot leave without a visit to one of Cape Town’s top tourist attractions on your South African holiday.
For almost 150 years, Cape Town harbour has undergone many transformations, which still continues, with the redevelopment of land and buildings surrounding the original Victoria & Alfred Basins. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront project is the result of close on three decades of planning and development! Evoking images of the early harbour, much of its attraction lies in the fact that it is set in the hub of a great entertainment venue with restaurants, specialty shops, craft markets, pubs, theatres and movies.
Wedged between two other famous landmarks; Robben Island and Table Mountain in Cape Town’s working harbour, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has become South Africa's most popular destination. With a stunning vista of sea and mountain views, this is the perfect way to dine, be entertained and shop till you drop! Also on site are offices, world-class hotels and luxury apartments in the residential marina.
Among the many Cape Town and Waterfront attractions on offer are seal-watching, a visit to the fascinating Two Oceans Aquarium, if you’re keen to learn about maritime history, The Maritime Museum looks at the history of shipping from prehistoric times to the present day. Boat trips around the harbour and along the coast are popular as well as helicopter flips, giving you a wonderful way to view the gorgeous city of Cape Town.
Shopping at the V&A:
No doubt, one of, if not the best shopping mall in South Africa, the V&A offers something for every shopper from a craft market selling proudly South African products, to international designer stores with the likes of Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton fighting it out for your attention.
Features of The V&A:
Restaurants- An ever-growing cluster of fine restaurants and food-chains pop up constantly at the V&A, and ranging from Italian, Indian, Mediterranean, Japanese to South African and almost anything in between, there’s something for everybody’s palate.
Cinema Complex- Ster-Kinekor movie houses both commercial and art house are at the V&A. The commercial complex is of course much bigger than the Cinema Nouveau, and is situated above a food court area, whereas the art house movies are shown below in a slightly more secluded setting.
The Clock Tower- Situated near the site of the original Bertie's Landing Restaurant, the restored Victorian Gothic-style Clock Tower has always been an icon of the old docks. It has become a focal point in the Waterfront's recent makeover. It was the original Port Captain's Office completed in 1882.
Time Ball Tower- The Time Ball is a signaling device for ships' masters to determine the error and rate of their chronometers while in harbour. The Time Ball Tower in the Waterfront was built in 1894 and is situated next the Dock House. It remained in use for 40 years after which new technology led to it lying idle for years before being restored and re-commissioned in 1997.
The Dragon Tree- Planted next to the Time Ball Tower is originally from the Canary Islands. More than a century old, it’s one of the largest of its kind in Cape Town. The sap of these trees was once used as a medicine to treat dysentery and diarrhea. Unfortunately, the tree was damaged in storms in 2001.
Robben Island Exhibition- The Robben Island Exhibition and Information Centre, next door to the Clock Tower building, is a museum dedicated to the history of Robben Island and the political struggle. Bookings for guided tours are on offer.
Robben Island trips- Daily ferry trips to Robben Island depart from the jetty near the Robben Island Exhibition and Information Centre in the Clock Tower Precinct and from the Robben Island Embarkation Building on Jetty 1. Guided tours and bus tours on the island include a visit to the prison with viewing of the limestone quarry, Leper's Church, Garrison Church, lighthouse, and a Kramat (holy Muslim gravesite.) African penguins are also popular with visitors to the Island.
Seal Landing- Usually sticking to offshore islands, a colony of Cape fur seals take a break from their natural habitat to visit the seal landing in the Clock Tower Precinct.
Chavonnes Battery- One of the oldest European structures in South Africa, built in the early 1700's by the Dutch East India Company. It was designed to protect the Cape, and old eyewitness accounts described the Battery as being the most formidable of the Table Bay fortifications. Besides serving a military role, it was used as a convalescent wing of the old Somerset Hospital.
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