V&A Waterfront Cape Town

The world famous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction, set against the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain & Robben Island with glorious ocean views. The entire waterfront complex is a mixture of a working harbour, historical site and pulsating shopping Eden.  It offers everything from upmarket shopping malls, arts and crafts markets, theatres, live music to entertainment. Exploring around the working harbour visitors will find various refurbished historical buildings, museums, boat trips, hotels, bars and the Two Oceans Aquarium.

Standing outside you will notice the quaint yet spectacular picture postcard view. The majestic table Mountain shadows over the little tug boats, fishing ships, entertainers and a family of seals- A definite must for all tourists and locals alike. Once the shopping and entertainment is over visitors are treated to a wealth of restaurant options, catering to all budgets and tastes. A theme of Victorian architecture, maritime tradition, and African culture runs throughout the Waterfront, and has over 400 stores on offer.
For more than 100 hundred years, The Dutch East India Company contributed to the development of the Cape of Good Hope, with the status of the spice trade and the docking of their merchant ships, created an excitable community market.  In 1860
Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's second son commissioned the waterfront harbour establishment for construction. In 1988 the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Company was given the mandate to develop the historic harbour basins to combine tourism and commerce, with the continuing operation of the working harbour. Over the past 140 years, the harbour has undergone numerous changes, which continue even today with the redevelopment of land and buildings surrounding the original Victoria & Alfred Basins, all to keep up with the city's expansion and economic progress.

The Waterfront provides a variety of entertainment for the whole family. Outside the Agfa Outdoor Amphitheatre provides live music and local theatrical performances.

On days not suitable for the outdoors, the Imax theatre and aquarium are often frequented. The Imax holds eleven cinemas with incredible digital sound systems. The viewing screens are abnormally large and screen anything from the latest Hollywood movies to educational documentaries. There is a large indoor craft market which offers some unique souvenirs.
As you sit and enjoy a meal on the quayside, away from the waterfront, diners can witness the fascinating working harbour, offering views of the actual working dry dock, cargo and tour boats move through the harbour and the occasional cruise liner being guided into dock by powerful tugs.
The V&A Waterfront attracts over a million visitors a month. There is plenty of secure basement parking at the Waterfront, which is open to the public 7 days of the week. The V&A Waterfront is accessible from the city centre and the majority of Cape Town by car, bus and shuttle. The Waterfront offers holiday-makers, travellers and business delegate’s luxurious leisure time. The harbour is just as beautiful in the night as it is in the day and it is always alive with visitors.