Cape Town is the legislative capital and second-largest city of South Africa, situated in the Western Cape province on the shore of Table Bay.
As South Africa’s oldest city and seat of Parliament, Cape Town occupies a natural setting where the Cape Floristic Region meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city is framed by Table Mountain and extends from the central City Bowl to Cape Point, encompassing both the Atlantic seaboard and False Bay coastline. Table Mountain National Park lies within city boundaries, alongside nature reserves and marine-protected areas including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which contains five of South Africa’s six biomes and displays plants native to the Cape region. The metropolitan area serves as a gateway to diverse ecosystems and has established itself as a base for wildlife and conservation work across southern Africa.
Cape Town has been named best city for travellers by The Telegraph for eight consecutive years (2017–2025), by Time Out in 2025, and by The New York Times in 2014, reflecting its appeal to those drawn to landscapes where mountains, ocean and singular biodiversity converge.
