South Africa Guide
Cape Town
V&A Waterfront
Throughout the first half of the nineteenth century, arguments raged in Cape Town over the need for a proper dock. The Cape was often known as the Cape of Storms because of its vicious weather, which left Table Bay littered with wrecks. Many makeshift attempts were made to ameliorate the situation, including the construction of a lighthouse in 1823, and work was begun on a jetty at the bottom of Bree Street in 1832. Clamour for a harbour grew in the 1850s, with the increase in sea traffic arriving at the Cape, reaching its peak in 1860, when the Lloyds insurance company refused the risk of covering ships dropping anchor in Table Bay.
The British colonial government dragged its heels due to the costs involved, but eventually conceded; on a suitably stormy September day in 1860, at a huge ceremony, the teenage Prince Alfred tipped the first batch of stones into Table Bay to begin the Breakwater, the westernmost arm of the harbour, which was subsequently completed with convict labour. In 1869, the dock – consisting of two main basins – was completed, and the sea was allowed to pour in.
The Waterfront is one of the easiest points to reach in Cape Town by public transport. Golden Arrow municipal buses leave for here from Adderley Street, from outside the train station and from Beach Road in Sea Point. The open-topped City Sightseeing Bus also stops at the Waterfront. Arriving by car, you'll find yourself well catered for, with several car parks and garages. If you want to leave by taxi, head for the taxi rank on Breakwater Boulevard.