Postcards From Cape Town Waterfront

Colorful and neat, Cape Town Waterfront was one of my favorite places in town.

I liked strolling around, having a drink in one of the bars overlooking the harbour and the boats, watching and listening to the people playing music and dancing in the streets.

As the light changes during the day, so do the colors of Cape Town Waterfront.

Under clear skies, blue is prevailing, with spots of white and bright red from the boats. When the sun sets, or clouds cover the sky, the shades get warmer, maybe even more beautiful.

I find harbours spellbinding. Looking at the bustle of boats, my imagination wanders towards past times, trying to figure out how explorers felt while sailing the rough sea and facing strong winds.

As it is today, pretty, well-kept and close to perfect, Cape Town Waterfront seems so far from that times. Still, it’s because of the menacing winds and the high dangers of the sea that the harbour was first built, in 1860.

When I was in Cape Town, I used to go to the V&A Waterfront quite often. I enjoyed spending time in this area of the city, knowing, however, that this is not Cape Town, but only one of its many facets.

Cape Town Waterfront is a little like the bright side of the moon: lovely, well-kept, somehow very European.

And for as much as I liked strolling in the harbour, I wanted to see more of the city, I wished I could see and understand at least a bit of the contradictions of South Africa, that make it such a unique and fascinating country.

 

More reading: Yes, South Africa Is Great For Solo Travelers