This province is one of the country's most beautiful, attracting the lion's share of foreign tourists. It is a region of majestic mountains, colourful patchworks of farmland set in lovely valleys, long beaches and, further inland, the wide-open landscape of the semi-desert Karoo.

Capital City: Cape Town

Apart from being the home of South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain, the area has a long and colourful history. Robben Island, in Table Bay, near Cape Town, was used for centuries as a prison and is now an essential stop for visitors to the region. It was on this island, that Nelson Mandela spent the bulk of his 27 years in prison.

Castle of Good Hope:

The Dutch East India Company was a powerful trading company in Holland in the 1600's. The company sailed around the southern cart of Africa to get to the Spice Islands in the East. 

In 1652 the Dutch Settlers arrived in the Cape. They came in search of fresh water and provisions for their ships. They did not have a good relationship with the Khoisan. 

They built a 5 cornered-fort named "Castle of Good Hope". Construction began in 1666 and was completed in 1697. It was built by the Dutch and their slaves. It was originally built of wood, but was almost washed away in a storm. The Dutch decided to build a castle made out of stronger materials. The Castle had big guns to shoot enemy ships in the harbour.