Cape Town

Cape Town enjoys one of the most dramatic settings of any city, gathered between the flat-topped bulk of Table Mountain and the meeting of two oceans. A cable car or a stiff hike reaches the summit for sweeping views, and beaches like Camps Bay and Clifton sit right below the peaks. The mix of mountains, coastline, and city makes for an unusually scenic place to spend a few days.

The variety is the draw. The colorful Bo-Kaap quarter climbs the hillside in bright pastels, the V&A Waterfront buzzes with restaurants and boats, and a short drive reaches the Cape Peninsula, the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, and the renowned Winelands around Stellenbosch. World-class food and wine come at prices that pleasantly surprise many visitors.

Seasons run opposite to the Northern Hemisphere, so the warm, dry summer falls between about November and March, the prime window for beaches and hiking. Winters are cooler and wetter, and the famous southeaster wind can blow hard through the summer months.