There is no better place to celebrate the start of a new decade than in the vibrant city of Cape Town. Crowned the best city in the world, the Mother City is not only known as one of the most beautiful cities, but a leading travel destination.
With adventure seekers, keen travellers and globe-trotting enthusiasts travelling from far and wide to experience everything the glorious city of Cape Town has to offer. It truly is the ultimate bucket-list travel destination.
If we haven’t convinced you yet, here are the top new reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020, and why you won’t regret a single second if you do.
Cape Town was voted the best city in the world
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Cape Town has been voted the ‘Best City in the World’ for the seventh year in a row by the Telegraph Travel Awards. It proves to be a top bucket-list travel destination and sought-after location for visitors from around the world.
Whether it’s her unapologetic beauty, variety of iconic landmarks and natural wonders, glorious marine life, adventurous spirit, vibrant energy or incredible selection of things to do and see, the Mother City has stolen the heart of locals and travellers around the globe. No wonder it’s one of the best cities in the world.
The setting & unapologetic natural beauty of the Mother City
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If there’s one thing that’s for certain, its that Cape Town is beautiful. From vast coastlines, endless mountain ranges, beaches, natural wonders, winelands and so much more, there is no denying the Mother City’s scenic beauty. Not to mention the fact that it’s home to one of the great botanic gardens of the world, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
The botanical garden is not only known to be one of Cape Town’s most beautiful natural wonders, but one of the best picnic, hiking and sunset watching spots in the city. Cape Town is one of the few cities in the world to, quite simply, have it all.
Every season brings something unique & exciting
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Boasting a beautiful year-round mild Mediterranean climate means every Cape Town season brings with it something unique and exciting to be enjoyed by all. While summer in Cape Town means glorious sunny weather, late sunsets and blissful beach days. Winter transforms the Mother City into a lush paradise perfect for adventuring and exploring.
The Cape Town spring season is world-renowned and widely known as flower season. The time of year where the Mother City transforms into a glorious floral escape filled with wildflowers, colour and vibrancy. Not to mention Autumn, where the weather is perfect for just about everything. This means you can visit Cape Town in 2020 at any time of year.
The glorious Table Mountain
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Although Table Mountain is by no means a new addition to the Mother City’s skyline, it undoubtedly remains one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town this new year. Crowned one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the tall-standing Table Mountain is not only one of the most iconic global landmarks but one of Cape Town’s most beloved attractions. It’s that stunning attraction that people travel from far and wide to see first-hand.
Besides admiring the all-consuming natural beauty of Table Mountain from below, the view from the top is nothing short of jaw-dropping. If you consider yourself to be a bit of a thrill seeker, hiking this flat-topped giant via one of its many scenic hiking trails, is one adventure that should definitely be on your Cape Town bucket-list. Apart from enjoying an exhilarating hike to the top, you can also choose to take a ride on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. But regardless of which way you choose to reach the summit, it promises to well worth every second.
Home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world
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Cape Town is pure beach bliss. Home to an endless variety of spectacular beaches, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Besides the Mother City’s exceptional variety of beaches, she also boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The new ranking from Flight Network, a leading online travel agency, gave the world-renowned Camps Bay the title of 32nd most beautiful beach in the world on their World’s 100 Beach list. In addition to Camps Bay’s number 32 ranking, they also crowned Boulders Beach, home of the African Penguin Colony, the 62nd most beautiful beach in the world on the top 100 list.
But that’s not all. The captivating Clifton Beach also ranked 2nd on NatGeo’s best beach list. Undoubtedly making exploring and experiencing the Mother City’s beautiful beaches first-hand one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020. In addition to these global beach stunners, here are a few more beaches that deserve to be on your Cape Town beach bucket-list: Muizenberg Beach, Beta Beach, Bakoven Beach, Llandudno Beach, Bloubergstrand, Water’s Edge, Noordhoek, Kommetjie and Cape Points endless variety of secret beaches. These are merely a few of the Mother City’s beach gems!
It is one of the top cultural destinations in the world
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Besides its unapologetic beauty, vast natural wonders and beautiful beaches, Cape Town has established itself as a top cultural destination. Not only is it home to a variety of iconic historical sites, museums, art galleries, theatres, heritage sites and multi-cultural destinations of great significance, it’s also the location of the renowned Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. Crowned the Best overall Cultural Destination of the Year at the 2018 Leading Culture Destinations Awards, the Zeitz MOCAA has become a leading attraction for art and culture enthusiasts from around the world.
Besides claiming this prestigious title, this contemporary art museum also won the award for Best New Culture Destination in Africa and the Middle East. As well as was named one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 destinations of 2018. Undoubtedly making visiting this artistic and architectural stroke of genius one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020. Situated in the iconic Grain Silo building, the Zeitz MOCAA is one of the grandest displays of contemporary African art in the world. Making it a must-visit destination in for any head-over-heels art lover. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be much of an art fanatic, the Zeitz MOCAA has something for everyone to admire and enjoy.
The forefront of the global culinary landscape
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Cape Town has fast become the ultimate destination for avid foodies, chefs and keen food lovers from around the world. And with good reason too! Condé Nast’s Readers’ Choice Awards even voted Cape Town the number one food city in the world. Known as the culinary capital of Africa, the Mother City is at the forefront of the global culinary scene. Boasting some of the most highly acclaimed restaurants, cafes and eateries in the world. The sought-after Test Kitchen was crowned one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the world as rated by the World Restaurant Awards. Not to mention the fact that it ranked 22nd in The World’s Best Restaurant Awards in 2016. As well as claimed the number 44 spot in 2019 and the ‘Best Restaurant in Africa’ title at The World’s Best Restaurant Awards. It’s certainly one of the most sought-after, and equally thrilling, dining experiences in Cape Town.
In addition to the Test Kitchen’s top restaurant status, Wolfgat is another Cape Town hidden gem to stake its claim to the global culinary throne. Named the Best Off-Map Destination & Restaurant of the Year in the internationally acclaimed 2019 World Restaurant Awards, this west coast wonder is an absolute must for anyone visiting Cape Town in 2020. Wolfgat is a tiny beach restaurant situated in a 130-year-old cottage and cave on the beach at Paternoster. This Cape West Coast gem is all about sustainable, back-to-basics cooking. Which will without a doubt steal your food loving heart from the very first bite. In addition to these two world-renowned culinary hotspots, Cape Town has so much more to be explored when it comes to its thrilling and thriving culinary scene.
Ultimate destination for adventure seekers & adrenalin junkies
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Known as the adventure capital of Africa, the Western Cape is any thrill seeker’s dream come true. The fact that its home to such a vast variety of incredible natural wonders, nature reserves, mountain ranges, beaches, the ocean and endless stretches of untouched wilderness, means the Mother City has an adventure for everyone. From surfing, skydiving, sandboarding, snorkelling with Cape Fur Seals and shark cage diving in one of the only places in the world where you can actually get up close and personal with Great White Sharks to hiking, abseiling off Table Mountain, paragliding from Lions Head or Signal Hill, kite-surfing, kayaking with African Penguins and so much more. Cape Town quite literally has it all! The Mother City’s thrilling sense of adventure and endless variety of bucket-list worthy experiences is one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020.
Most culturally diverse neighbourhoods in the world
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One of the most incredible things about travelling to Cape Town is the fact that you’ll soon discover that every neighbourhood has something unique to offer. Making exploring the Mother City an exciting adventure. Some of its neighbourhoods have even earned themselves some coveted global status. The cool, quirky and charismatic sea-side town of Kalk Bay was named the coolest neighbourhood in the world by Forbes in 2018. Besides its neighbourhood cool status, Kalk Bay has become one of the top must-visit destinations for travellers from around the world. Situated along the vibrant False Bay coastline, Kalk Bay is jam-packed full of secret spots, hidden gems, cool quirks and local treasures you won’t quite find anywhere else in the world. Making it well worth the visit.
In addition to Kalk Bay, another Cape Town neighbourhood that is worth all the global hype and praise is Bo-Kaap. Known as one of the most colourful and culturally diverse neighbourhoods in the world, Bo-Kaap is jam-packed with culture, history and a vibrant energy that is unlike any other. Not to mention the delicious traditional Cape Malay cuisine that the region has become known for. Bo-Kaap was also named one of the most ‘Instagrammable’ spots in Cape Town. It’s therefore safe to say that exploring the Mother City’s vibrant diversity of neighbourhoods is certainly one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020. And promises to be an enriching and exciting day out exploring the Mother City.
Coolest cafes, coffee shops & ice-cream spots
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Besides it’s top-notch culinary status, Cape Town is home to some of the coolest cafes, coffee shops and ice-cream spots in the world. Some of which you’ll only really known about if you’ve got the local insider tip. Well, lucky for you, we’ve got you covered! Did you know that Unframed was recently named the best ice-cream parlour in the world by Big 7 Travel? It was also the only ice-cream parlour in Africa to be featured. Making it a pretty remarkable achievement. Unframed is an artisanal ice cream maker that makes healthy ice cream from scratch from real and sustainable food. Serving up an exciting range of dairy-based, fruit-based sorbets and nut-based vegan options. Thereby ensuring that there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
But, if ice-cream is not quite your vibe, Cape Town has some of the best cafés and coffee shops too. One of Cape Town’s coolest cafés, Nourish’d, was actually named the 13th most Instagrammable café in the world as rated by Big 7 Travel. But, if you’re more of a die-hard coffee lover at heart, why not pay a visit to the iconic Truth Coffee Roasting Café? Voted the best coffee shop in the world in 2016 by The Daily Telegraph 2 years in a row, a visit to this renowned Cape Town coffee gem is an absolute must for any coffee enthusiast.
A thriving night life scene
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Besides her raw unapologetic beauty and ability to sweep you off your feet with just one look, the Mother City sure knows how to let her hair down and have a good time. Boasting a truly exciting night life scene, Cape Town promises to have you on your feet, dancing the night away and loving life right through to the morning hours. In addition to an amazing variety of beachfront sundowner spots, rooftop bars, hip hangouts, cool clubs, whisky bars, dive bars and everything in between, Cape Town also has a few hotspots that have made it onto the global charts. One of those is the sought-after local hidden gem, the Gin Bar! Named one of the 50 most Instagrammable bars in the world, the Gin Bar has gin lovers flocking from far and wide to see what all the hype is about.
But, if you’re not much of a gin lover and cool dive bars are more your scene, you’re in luck! As Cape Town is home to the 19th Best Dive Bar in the world as rated by Big 7 Travel, SurfaRosa. From cool rustic interiors, a laid-back vibe and witty bar staff to ice-cold beers on tap, lively music and an everyone is welcome atmosphere, this hip Mother City hangout has become a real fan-favourite. In addition to these cool Cape Town bars, some of the Mother City’s trendiest streets to have a good time during both the day and night includes Kloof Street, Bree Street, Longmarket Street, Long Streets, Loop Street, Lower Main Road and Buitenkant Street. Where you’ll find a variety of hip hangouts, cool bars, viby clubs and trendy rooftop spots.
Incredible marine life
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Another top reason to visit Cape Town in 2020 is its thriving marine life. Not only does Cape Town boast a wide diversity of marine life, it is also home to the famous Marine Big 5, the Cape Fur Seal, African Penguin, Dolphins, Whales and Mola Mola Sunfish. Besides spotting these beautiful ocean beings from the shoreline, you can also enjoy a wide variety of ocean adventures. From snorkelling with Cape Fur Seals and kayaking with African Penguins to boat-based Whale watching and deep-sea diving, there is an exciting experience for every adventure lover at heart.
Flourishing markets & music
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Cape Town is home to a thriving and thrilling market scene. Boasting an incredible range of food, arts and crafts, local produce as well as an exciting variety of night markets, Cape Town has a market perfectly suited to everyone. The vibrant V&A Waterfront is also home to an incredible variety of local markets, musicians and art and culture experiences.
Beautiful sherbet coloured sunsets
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Witnessing the Mother City’s spectacular sherbet-coloured sunsets first-hand is undoubtedly one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020. And no, we’re not even exaggerating! There is no sunset quite as magical as a Cape Town sunset and nowhere else in the world will you find anything like it. Celebrated for her spectacular sherbet sunsets that sets the sky alight in a glorious celebration of colour, the Mother City is pure sunset bliss.
It’s therefore no surprise that going sunset chasing or watching the sun go down from one of the beloved local spots, has become one of top things to do in Cape Town. From Lions Head, Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Kloof Nek to Bloubergstrand, the Camps Bay tidal pools, Llandudno and Bakoven Boulders, there is no shortage of incredible local Cape Town sunset-watching spots to choose from. Happy sunset watching.
There is always an exciting adventure & beautiful destination just around the corner
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By far one of the top reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020 is the fact that there is always something new to experience, an adventure to take or a destination to explore. Thereby allowing you to discover a whole new world entirely without having to travel too far out of the city at all. Home to a wide variety of incredible nature reserves, beaches, wineland escapes, wilderness areas and off the beaten path hidden gems, means you can pack your bags and break away from the chaos for a relaxing getaway whenever you choose.
From quick one-day adventures, weekend breakaways or exciting extended holidays, Cape Town has the perfect destination for you. Hermanus, Langebaan, Cape Point, Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Ceres, Paternoster, Riebeek Kasteel, Stellenbosch, Betty’s Bay, Cederberg Wilderness and Cape of Good Hope are just a few getaway destinations that should be one your Cape Town travel bucket-list.
The wine is among the best in the world
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There is no denying the fact that Cape Town locals love their wine! Home to the largest wine producing region in Africa, the Western Cape is truly spoiled for choice when it comes to exceptional wine, top-tire Wine Estates and sought-after wine routes. But more than that, the Western Cape’s wine is considered to be among the best in the world. This is due to the fact that Cape Town’s climate lends itself to perfect grape-growing conditions. Cape wines are also known to punch well above their weight. They often cost considerably less than those from other parts of the world; thereby, making Cape Town the ultimate destination for wine lovers from around the world. It’s undoubtedly a top reason to visit Cape Town in 2020. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a huge fan of wine, Cape Town’s exceptional range of Wine Estates are definitely worth the visit. In addition to incredible wine they also offer sensational dining and pairing experiences and magnificent vineyard views and tours.
With so many incredible and exciting reasons to visit Cape Town in 2020 there is absolutely no reason why a trip to the Mother City shouldn’t be at the top of your travel bucket-list. Filled with unbelievable beauty, adventure, iconic landmarks, natural wonders, thrilling experiences, world-renowned attractions, beaches and hotspots, it promises to be a trip you won’t soon forget. We can’t wait for you to experience everything the glorious and vibrant city of Cape Town has to offer.
Planning to visit Cape Town in 2020? Learn more about the Mother City, how to get around, free things to do in Cape Town in 2020, and more from our blog. We can help you find the perfect place to stay. Get in touch if you’d like help finding accommodation or Cape Town tours to indulge in when you are around.
