Word of Mouth: Cape Town
From beaches and gardens to design hotels and restaurants in South Africa’s oldest city
Cape Town (or the Mother City as its lovingly referred to by locals) is an intoxicating blend of natural landscapes and eclectic, dynamic venues. Surrounded by white-sand beaches and anchored by the jagged granite mountaintops above, it’s easy to fall in love with this city for its beauty alone. But beyond the lush gardens, beaches and sprawling vineyards lies a cultural melting pot of warehouses-turned-markets, exceptional dining, crafty pop-up shops, and a whole lot of history. South Africa’s oldest city is full of excitement and energy.
The Watershed
Located on the V&A Waterfront, The Watershed is an absolute treasure. The converted warehouse has become somewhat of an incubator for small businesses over the last several years, offering a home to artists, designers and entrepreneurs. On the ground floor, you’ll find a retail market with 150+ pop-up shops featuring impeccably designed textiles and clothing, local arts and crafts, hand-carved furniture and more, while the floors above serve as a co-working space called Workshop17, which is used by many as office space and is also open for day use.
Constantia
A visit to wine country is mandatory when visiting South Africa, and it just so happens that the oldest winemaking region in the Southern Hemisphere is just 30 minutes from the city center in Constantia. The Constantia wine route takes you through rolling hills, green pastures and vineyards as far as the eye can see. Each wine farm has a different landscape and offers a tasting so you can sample a little bit of everything, from light and fruity whites to sweet dessert wines. Two of our favorites are Beau Constantia for the most awe-inspiring views, and Klein Constantia for its signature dessert wine, Vin de Constance. Local tour companies like Explore Sideways offer highly-curated food and wine experiences and can handle all of the logistics so you can enjoy responsibly.
COOL HUNTING always gets permission to use the images we publish; however, as an independent publication, we cannot afford to continue fighting unfair claims of copyright infringement, so the images have been removed from this post.
