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The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is the most visited tourist destination in the Southern Hemisphere, with some 22 million visits each year. Situated in the heart of Cape Town's working harbour against the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is widely acknowledged as Cape Town's premier shopping and tourist destination and a well known entertainment hotspot. Here, an innovative fusion of history and modern convenience has resulted in a multi-purpose, dockside environment unlike any other in the world.
Shopping
With over 400 stores, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront provides the opportunity for serious shopping, with an incredibly diverse scope and something for everyone. Its spectacular blend of Victorian architecture, maritime tradition, and African culture ensures a shopping environment that is lively and cosmopolitan, with a distinctive African twist.
The stylish Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre forms the bulk of the retail space at the Waterfront and boasts over 240 unique retail outlets that offer a vibrant mix of luxury items, designer brands, and craft emporia. For those looking for a more traditional selection of art, antiques and jewellery, the Alfred Mall, situated within the historic Pierhead, offers a selection of stores for the discerning shopper.
Historic Clock Tower Precinct
Across the Pierhead’s swing bridge, you can fine the latest addition to the Waterfront’s retail offering – The Clock Tower Centre. This brings South African crafts, arts, designs and foods together under one roof, as well as the Waterfront Information Centre. There are also several sites of historical interest here, including the Clock Tower built in 1882 and the old Chavonnes Battery - the fascinating ruins of the Dutch East India Company military installation dating back to 1724.
There are also spectacular views of Table Mountain and the working harbour from almost everywhere within the Cape Town waterfront compound, and there are usually a few enormous Cape fur seals lolling around in the water or on a platform where they sunbathe. Old rubs shoulders with the new in the Clock Tower Precinct with the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, one of the many Cape Town waterfront highlights, from where the high speed catamaran departs regularly throughout the day.
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