A coastal city run on rand, where summer is December and the wind has a name.
Cape Town uses South African rand, cards work everywhere, but car rental is non-negotiable, the city sprawls and public transit barely covers it. Pull R3,000 to R5,000 per person for tips, parking, and small purchases. Tipping is 10 to 15 percent at restaurants and R10 per service at petrol stations (a person pumps for you). The Cape Doctor is the southeasterly summer wind, strong enough to close Table Mountain cable car; check the forecast daily. The water at the city beaches (Clifton, Camps Bay) is glacial, 12 to 14°C in summer; warm-water beaches are on the Indian Ocean side an hour east.
Not the headlines. The spots Cape Town locals reach for after the famous ones are done, and why each one is worth the detour.
90-minute moderate climb, the local move on Sundays, 360° view, ladders near the top.
Beau Constantia, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, the locals do high tea on Sunday afternoons.
Warm Indian Ocean water (18°C), beginner-friendly waves, the colourful huts are the postcard.
Local food and producers, family crowd, easier than the V&A Food Market.
Colourful Cape Malay quarter, eat samoosas at the corner spot, mostly residents above the photo zone.
October to April (Cape Town summer, opposite season to Europe), with the sweet spots in late November and March. June through August is the wet season; the Cape Doctor wind peaks December to February.
Yes in Sea Point, Green Point, V&A Waterfront, Camps Bay, Constantia, and the City Bowl in daylight. After dark, Uber instead of walking. Do not show phones at intersections (smash-and-grab), do not park valuables in the boot in view, do not hike Table Mountain alone or at dusk. Tour group on Lion s Head, fine; solo Lion s Head at 6am, not.
Yes. The city is 30km long, public transit is sparse, and the Cape Peninsula day-trip (Chapmans Peak, Boulders penguins, Cape Point) is impossible without one. Uber covers central trips and is cheap (€4 to €8 across the city). Rent a Polo or similar, fill up at petrol stations only (no self-service, tip R10).
The summer southeasterly wind (October to March) often gusts above 40 knots and shuts the cable car for safety. Check tablemountain.net the morning of, build flexibility into the schedule. The hike up Platteklip Gorge is brutal in heat; do the cable car up, walk down if the wind allows.
Everyone votes, nobody argues, the itinerary builds itself. Free for the first trip.
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