- Where to find: Cape Town, Waterfront Village
If applied to the city, you can say that he has a heart, then the heart of Cape Town is his old port, the Waterfront. The main decoration of the port area for many years is the Victoria and Alfred embankment, a favorite tourist destination.
History of the Old Port
The first ships began mooring off the South African coast in the middle of the 17th century, when the commercial East India Company represented by Jan van Riebeeck founded the city and the port of Kapstad (the future Cape Town) on the Cape Peninsula. For the next two centuries the harbor did not rebuild, but when in the middle of the 19th century a violent storm destroyed about 30 ships, the cape governor, Sir George Gray and the British government decided to build a new harbor.
The construction of the harbor in Cape Town was started in 1860. The first stone in the construction was laid by the second son of the British Queen Victoria, Alfred - hence the name of the main street of the district. As time went by, steam ships came to replace the sailboats, gold and diamond deposits were discovered in the interior of the continent, and cargo transportation by sea was in great demand. Until the middle of the 20th century, the Cape Town port served as the gateway to South Africa.
However, with the development of air transport, the quantity of goods transported by sea decreases. The citizens did not have free access to the port territory, no one was involved in the restoration of historical buildings and buildings, the old port was gradually declining.
In the late 1980s, the joint efforts of city authorities and the public led to the beginning of a complete reconstruction of the old port and the installation of a new infrastructure.
Today the port of Waterfront serves as an entertainment center of the city, but continues to accept small vessels and fishing boats.
Old Port Waterfront today
Today in this coastal area, where only 30 years ago there was still an unremarkable old port, urban life is boiling: there are many cafes, restaurants and shops, world-class hotels and thrifty hostels are located. There are more than 450 shops and souvenir shops!
New buildings are adjacent to historic buildings, but absolutely all buildings are in Victorian style. Live music is heard everywhere, small circus performances are held. Visiting such entertainment complexes as an amusement park or an Aquarium of two oceans can take a whole day. A hundred-year-old ships are moored along the embankment, inviting tourists to familiarize themselves with the equipment of an old sea vessel.
Here is the pier, from which the excursion ferry leaves for Robben Island. You can go for a two-hour fascinating walk along the harbor, and also order a helicopter and make your own itinerary.
Even at a later time in the vicinity of the old port is full of people. The police are almost invisible, while the Waterfront is considered one of the safest areas of the city. To the services of tourists - an information center that provides maps and information about upcoming events, exchange points, where you can change the currency at a favorable rate.
And experienced travelers along with souvenirs with the view of Table Mountain bring from South Africa famous South Rooibos tea, which can be purchased in numerous shops of the Waterfront, without fear of running into a fake.
How to get there?
Get to the Waterfront from anywhere in Cape Town public transport , or by using the services of local taxi services. The old port of Waterfront is in the city center, a kilometer from the railway station and is included in most walking tours.
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