Cape Town’s Precious Jewel

Of all Cape Town’s precious jewels the V and A Waterfront may be the one to shine the brightest. It started off with a small jetty, built by Jan van Riebeeck in 1654 as part of his task to establish a refreshment station at the foot of Africa for the Dutch East India Company. The Cape had become a stopover for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India and the Far East on their quest for exotic goods. In June 1858 serious winter storms wrecked over 30 vessels. As a consequence, Lloyds of London refused to cover ships wintering in Table Bay. On a sunny September 17, 1860 Midshipman HRH Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son, tipped the first load of stone to start construction of the breakwater for Cape Town’s first harbour. The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa meant that the first section of harbour, the Alfred Basin, had to be added to and the Victoria Basin was built. The construction of the two harbour basins took place between 1860 and 1920, and the area is notable for its outstanding heritage buildings. Work started in 1938 and was completed in 1945, after being delayed by the Second World War. A 230ha tract of Foreshore land was created in the process for city expansion. In November 1988, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (Pty) Ltd (“V&AW”) was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary by Transnet Ltd to redevelop the historic docklands around Victoria and Alfred Basins as a mixed-use area with a focus on retail, tourism and residential development, with the continued operation of a working harbour.

With so much history and culture the V and A Waterfront is a definite must see on your trip to Cape Town. Whether it is just for a day or a more lengthly stay you have planned you are bound to be captivated by its splendor. If you are looking for V and A Waterfront hotel accommodation, SafariNow has a selection of hotel accommodation in V and A Waterfront and surrounds.