South Africa's most beautiful city is the perfect destination for those in search of stunning scenery, warmer temperatures and good value, writes Lucy Corne.

Why go now?

With its dramatic location, history and collision of cultures, Cape Town should be on everyone's wish-list. In late winter, South Africa's most attractive city offers the ideal escape from the northern hemisphere; near-perfect days and cool nights. And it's a cheap city, as the South African rand declines.

Touch down

There are no direct scheduled flights from Ireland. Trailfinders (01-677 7888; www.trailfinders.ie) has some bargains, including a British Airways fare of €749 via Heathrow. Cape Town's airport is 22km east of the city. A taxi to the centre takes 20 minutes and costs R200-250 (€15.70-€19.60). City Hopper airport shuttle buses (0027 219 344 440) charge around R100-150 (€7.84-€11.80) per person to the city centre, and a little more to the Waterfront. En route, you'll pass the Cape Flats, a sprawl of matchbox houses and townships that accommodate more than half the city's population.

Get your bearings

The locals use Table Mountain as an orientation point, but Cape Town's irregular layout can leave tourists wandering in perplexed circles. Downtown Cape Town is known as the City Bowl. The main street is Long Street, home to restaurants, nightlife, quirky shops, and a dozen or more hostels. Much of the action happens around the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a shopping mall-cum-restaurant complex in a harbour on the city's northern shores. A little further around the coast, Camps Bay and Clifton are the local answer to St Tropez.

The Visitor Information Centre (1), on the corner of Burg and Strand Streets (0027 214 26 5639; www.tourismcapetown.co.za), opens 8am-5pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am-1pm Saturdays, 9am-1pm Sundays.

View a PDF map of Cape Town here

Check in

The city's oldest hotel is the magnificent Mount Nelson (2) at 76 Orange Street (0027 214 831 000; mountnelson.co.za). Rooms reflect the hotel's 19th-century origins, and the extensive grounds offer respite from the city centre -- just a 10-minute walk away. Doubles start at R4,950 (€384), including breakfast.

For a more modern option, try An African Villa (3) at 19 Carstens Street (0027 214 232 162; capetowncity.co.za /villa), a boutique hotel with chic African-themed rooms and a friendly welcome. Doubles from R995 (€77), including breakfast.

Cape Town Backpackers (4) is just off the main drag at 81 New Church Street (0027 214 260 200; capetownbackpackers.com). Rooms are spotless and stylish; even the dorms come with fluffy towels. Dorm beds are R110 (€8.54), excluding breakfast. Doubles are R300 (€23.30) with a shared bathroom, R420 (€32.64) with an en suite.

Take a view

Take the cable car that revolves 360 degrees as it sweeps visitors to the flat top of Table Mountain. The Lower Cableway Station (5) is on Tafelberg Road, a five-minute cab ride from the city centre. The cable car runs every 15 minutes, 8am-9.30pm; return tickets R145 (€11.26). It's a fine way to spend the morning, but if you're feeling energetic then the challenging two-hour walk to the 670m summit of Lion's Head gives a superlative view of the city and its iconic landmark.

Window shopping

For alternative souvenirs check out the African Music Store, the African Bead Centre and the multi-storey Pan African Market (6) on Long Street. Make time for some hard haggling at the excellent curio market at Greenmarket Square (7).

Lunch on the run

It’s a steep hike to get from the Long Street area to the Noon Gun Tea Room (8) on Longmarket Street (0027 214 240 529), but worth the effort for the best koeksisters in town. These sweet snacks are a twist of deep-fried dough dipped in syrup and powdered with cinnamon and coconut. The café also serves curries, but the main reason to hike up here is for what happens at noon. Just before midday, scramble up to Signal Hill (9) for some wonderful views and to hear the noon gun in action — a cannon that heralds the afternoon every day, except Sunday.

Cultural afternoon

Cape Town has some fascinating museums. Start in Bo Kaap, the city’s Muslim district. Inhale the aromas of Cape Malay cooking and admire the brightly painted houses on Chiappini Street (10), probably the most photographed road in the city. The Bo Kaap Museum at 71 Wale Street offers a history of the area. It opens 10am- 5pm, except Sundays; R10 (¤0.78).

The Slave Lodge (11) on the corner of Adderley and Wale Streets is one of the city’s most interesting museums; It opens 10am-5pm daily, except Sunday. Admission is R15 (¤1.17).

Next stop: the Company’s Gardens (12), a fine city park. Once little more than a vegetable patch for the Dutch East India Company, the park today houses government buildings and the Tuynhuys — the official Cape Town office of South Africa’s president. It’s also home to the South African Museum and Planetarium (open 10am- 5pm daily, R15/¤1.17) and the National Gallery (open 10am-5pm daily, except Monday, R15/¤1.17). Take the south-east exit from the park and head towards the fascinating, if distressing, District Six Museum (13) on the way; the wretched years of apartheid are exposed in all their cruelty. It opens 9am-4pm daily, except Sunday (to 3pm on Mondays), suggested donation R10 (¤0.78). End your historical hike at the Castle of Good Hope (14) — the city’s oldest building — containing exhibits of South Africa’s military history. It opens 9.30am-4pm daily; R20 (¤1.55).

An aperitif

Buses leave every 20 minutes from the main bus station on Adderley Street to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront (16) (0027 214 087 600; www.waterfront. co.za); the fare is R4 (¤0.31). Much of the place is devoted to tourism, but it also has some local shops (don’t miss the township art in the Red Shed) and postcard views. Mitchell’s pub at the Waterfront serves excellent beer of the same name, fresh from a microbrewery along the Garden Route. Join the locals at the outdoor tables for a fine pint and a spot of people watching.

Dining with the locals

Back in the city centre, Nyoni’s Kraal (17) at 98 Long Street (0027 214 220 529; nyoniskraal.co.za) has a permanently fired-up braai, or barbecue. You can sample fresh game meat, such as ostrich, kudu or springbok, or some unusual African dishes, including chicken feet, tripe and Mopani worms. Main courses are between R50 and R90 (¤3.90-¤7).

Sunday morning: go to church

St George’s Cathedral (18) (0027 214 247 360), known affectionately as ‘The People’s Cathedral’, welcomed worshippers of all races during apartheid. It became a regular meeting point for civil rights protesters. As the seat of the Archbishop of Cape Town, the cathedral saw crowds of parishioners flocking to hear the sermons of Desmond Tutu in the 1980s as he campaigned for an end to the apartheid era. He still attends mass whenever he is in Cape Town. Sunday services are at 7am, 8am and 12.15pm, with evensong at 7pm. On other days, it opens 8am-5pm (Saturdays to 1pm). Take a hike The three-hour Footsteps to Freedom walking tour provides a good overview of the historically-packed central district. It starts at the Visitor Information Centre (1). Tours leave daily at 10.30am; R100 (¤7.76). Call 0027 214 264 260 to book.

Lunch on the run

Grab a gourmet picnic from Andiamo (19) at 72 Waterkant Street in the fashionable De Waterkant district (0027 214 213 687; andiamo.co.za). There are more than 2,000 options in the deli. It opens 9am-11pm daily (to midnight on Friday and Saturday).

A walk in the park

Enjoy a picnic in the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (www.sanbi.org). Founded in 1660 by the first governor of the Cape, Jan van Riebeeck, the park was bequeathed to the nation by the later owner Cecil John Rhodes. Work off your lunch by following the Fynbos Walk: the Cape’s most celebrated plant is at its most colourful in the summer. From November to April, a series of concerts is held in the park on Sunday evenings. The gardens open 8am-7pm; R32 (¤2.48).

The icing on the cake

Taste some splendid wines just 10 minutes from the city centre. In fact, the Constantia vineyards were the first to be planted back in 1685. Enjoy downto- earth, no-hassle tastings and a walk through the magnificent grounds of South Africa’s original wine estate, Groot Constantia (0027 217 945 128, grootconstantia.co.za). The grounds are littered with old relics, monuments and a couple of good museums. They open 10am-5pm, tastings R25 (¤1.95). Take a scenic drive back to the city along the coast. The tight bends (114 of them) and steep cliffs can make Chapman’s Peak Drive a hair-raising journey, but you can stop regularly for superb views of the ocean and Hout Bay. From Constantia, take the R64 road to Noordhoek, then head north (toll road R26/¤2).

- Lucy Corne