V&A Waterfront

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is the part of Cape Town that almost every visitor sees, and it is better than its reputation as a shopping mall suggests. It grew from the city's historic harbour, where the first basin was begun in 1860 and named after Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's son, and it is still a working port: tugs, fishing boats and harbour craft share the water with tour boats, Cape fur seals bask on the jetties, and swing bridges open for passing vessels. Around the quays is a large, safe, walkable district of restaurants, bars, markets, hotels and attractions, with Table Mountain filling the skyline. The main sights are within a short walk of one another. The Clock Tower, painted red and built in the 1880s, stands beside the Nelson Mandela Gateway, where ferries leave for Robben Island. Nobel Square has statues of South Africa's four Nobel Peace Prize laureates: Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela. The Two Oceans Aquarium, in the Dry Dock District, displays the sea life of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, with a kelp forest and a predator tank among its highlights, and is a reliable choice for families on a windy day. The Watershed is a big market hall of South African designers, makers and craftspeople, where you can buy jewellery, textiles, ceramics and art from across the country under one roof. At the western end, the Silo District has grown around Zeitz MOCAA, the museum of contemporary African art in a converted grain silo, with hotels, galleries and restaurants. Harbour cruises, sunset boat trips and helicopter flights leave from the quays. Entry to the Waterfront itself is free, and you can easily spend a day walking, eating and browsing.

Getting there and around: the Waterfront is a short taxi or ride-hailing trip from the city centre, Sea Point and the City Bowl, and the MyCiTi bus and the City Sightseeing bus both stop there. There is plenty of covered parking, with free weekend parking at some garages, including the Silo, the Clock Tower and Battery Park, and the official site notes roadworks on Dock Road, so approach via Helen Suzman Boulevard and Portswood Road where possible. Once you are there, everything is walkable along the quays. The area has its own security and is one of the most relaxed parts of the city to stroll in the evening, which makes it a good first-night choice for arriving visitors.

Where to eat: the quays are lined with seafood restaurants, steakhouses and cafes with harbour views, and they range from tourist traps to genuinely good; look for places busy with locals as well as visitors. Food markets and halls offer a cheaper and more varied option, with stalls selling everything from bunny chow to oysters. Sunset drinks on a terrace facing the mountain or on a hotel rooftop in the Silo District are a Cape Town ritual. Shopping runs from international brands in the Victoria Wharf centre to South African design in the Watershed.

Who it suits: first-timers, families and anyone staying nearby, since the Waterfront is the easiest place in the city to find something to do in any weather. Critics say it lacks the character of the older parts of town, and that is fair; balance a day here with the Bo-Kaap, the Company's Garden and the city centre streets, which are a short ride away. The Robben Island ferry and Zeitz MOCAA give the Waterfront real substance, and an evening walk along the quays as the mountain turns pink is hard to beat.