Cape Town: Table Mountain, The Winelands & South Africa's Most Spectacular City

Cape Town is one of the world's truly exceptional cities — not merely beautiful (though it is extraordinarily so), but possessed of a character and energy unlike any other city on the African continent or anywhere else. It sits at the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, below a flat-topped mountain that dominates the cityscape with an almost supernatural authority. The combination of the mountain, the ocean, the winelands 30 minutes inland, and one of the most dynamic restaurant and arts scenes in the southern hemisphere makes it a destination that rewards every kind of traveler.

Where to Stay: Clifftop Elegance

Ellerman House (ellerman.co.za) in Bantry Bay is Cape Town's most distinguished private-house hotel — an Edwardian villa built in 1912, set into the Atlantic seaboard cliffs above the ocean, with 13 rooms and suites arranged around original artworks including pieces by Irma Stern and William Kentridge. The hotel's wine cellar — 7,000 bottles, with a focus on Cape Bordeaux blends and old-vine Chenin Blanc — is among the finest in Africa. The rooftop sundeck, where the sun sets directly over the Atlantic, is the best sundowner spot in the city. Rooms from $900/night. ellerman.co.za.

The Twelve Apostles Hotel (12apostleshotel.com) is positioned directly below the Twelve Apostles mountain range on the Chapman's Peak drive, with the Atlantic at its feet. The location is one of the most dramatic of any hotel in South Africa — the terrace view encompasses Camps Bay beach, the Twelve Apostles peaks, and an unobstructed ocean horizon. Rooms from $550/night.

Silo Hotel (thesilo.co.za) in the V&A Waterfront occupies the historic grain silo of the Royal Cape Yacht Club, its exterior punctured by 57 enormous pillow windows — now a landmark of contemporary South African architecture. The rooftop bar, with its 360-degree views of Table Mountain and the harbor, is the city's most coveted evening destination. Rooms from $800/night.

Table Mountain: The Essential Pilgrimage

Table Mountain rises 1,086 meters from the city's edge to a summit plateau 3 kilometers long. The cable car (tablemountain.net) carries visitors to the top in 5 minutes; the several hiking routes (including the 2.5-hour Platteklip Gorge route) reward the effort with the most extraordinary urban viewpoint in the world — the entire Cape Peninsula visible from a single spot, with both oceans simultaneously in view on clear days.

The Winelands: Stellenbosch & Franschhoek

The Cape Winelands — centered on the towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, 45 and 75 minutes from the city respectively — produce wine of extraordinary quality and variety. The old-vine Chenin Blancs of the Swartland, the Bordeaux blends of Stellenbosch, and the elegant Pinot Noirs of Hemel-en-Aarde Valley are exported to the finest wine lists in London and New York.

Test Kitchen (testkitchen.co.za) in Woodstock — the Cape Town restaurant of chef Luke Dale-Roberts — has been ranked consistently among the top 50 restaurants in the world. The experience requires advance booking of several months.

Getting There

Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is served by direct flights from London (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic), Amsterdam (KLM), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), and Dubai (Emirates). From Johannesburg, SA Express and Kulula operate multiple daily domestic connections.