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The beginning of Cape Town as far as we know:

Pre 1400s

Cape Town is also known as the mother city of South Africa or the city bowl. The first traces of Cape Town history started in the 1400's, any other information prior to that has not been recorded.

Throughout our beautiful land known as South Africa there were various tribes, these were the natives of South Africa. In Cape Town the occupying tribes were the Khoi Khoi, and Sand people. The Sand tribe inhabited Cape Town for many decades. These groups were divided, some of which were herders of cattle and some hunter gatherers.

The various groups were traveling south from Botswana, they then settled in Cape Town and on surrounding mountains.

1400+

In the Late 1488 the 1st Portuguese explorer who came around via the Cape Province was Bartolomeu Dias, he travelled the rough seas around Cape Town as a Portuguese sailor who tried to reach India.

The Europeans wanted trade between Europe and India and they called this the spice route traveling between the two continents. Bartolomeu Dias named the Cape of Goodhope "the Cape of Storms at the time".

Bartolomeu Dias is known as the 1st European to set foot on African soil and this is evident where he settled in Mossel Bay, approximately 5 hours drive east from Cape Town.

Due to rough seas and strong winds which caused his ship to almost capsize Bartolomeu Dias failed in his mission to securing trade between the two nations. On route to India, he stop ended his journey in Mossel bay .

In 1497 the second sailor Vasco Da Gama travelled the same route. He was also set out to find the spice route to India from Europe. It will still named the spice route as they wanted the spices from India and their intention at the time was to open trade between the two countries.

Vasco Da Gama then changed the name from Cape of Storms to the Cape of Goodhope as he saw potential in the Cape at the time. His experience was different to the previous explorer.

1500

In the early 1500's the Portuguese tried settling in the Cape, however the Khoi Khoi and the San people, the natives of the land, had herds of Cattle on the Table of the Cape. This was the name of the Table Mountain in the past.

In 1503 Antonio De Saldanha called this Mountain Taboa Da Caba which meant the "Table of the Cape". " The Native tribes prepared themselves for war and killed 60 of the Portuguese that were trying to invade their land.

1600

Jan Van Ribeeck arrived in 1652 who was part Dutch East India Company. The Dutch East India Company at the time had intentions of setting up a place in Cape Town where they could replenish passing by ships. However, the Dutch looked at the Cape as an area where they could invest in, they saw potential in Cape Town.

My understanding is that; When the Dutch entered they came in more humble unlike the Portuguese who tried to invade. The Dutch somehow managed to negotiate with the natives.

At some point after their arrival they built the Company Gardens. The Company Gardens was a beautiful fruit and vegetable garden which they used to plant fruit and vegetables which supplied passing by ships. This garden still exists today and is still in use by many locals, it has also become a popular tourist attraction and a visit to the company gardens is included in some of our cape town tours.

The Dutch soon realised their development was expanding in the Cape and they needed protection from invaders. As the Dutch invested more and more in the Cape the need to build the Castle of Good hope arose.

The Castle of Goodhope was built on the sea shore, so much so that The Ocean would hit against the walls of the Castle.

The Castle was used mainly for their protection and it was built in five points as a pentagon. The Castle was built in 1666 which created the need for labourers. This was the start of slavery in the Cape.

Experience Cape Town history and the Cape Castle when you book a relaxed tour with Cape Coastal Tours, we offer a unique Cultural experience packaged in a single 8 hour guided day tour of Cape Town. Just you, your friends and a private certified guide, Totally chilled!

In the 1600's most countries adopted slavery and the slaves brought to South Africa were from places like India, Java, Malaysia, Madagascar, Asia, Angola and various parts of Africa.

The Dutch used the surrounding Mountains strategically; signal was used as a lookout point for incoming ships because it overlooks Three Anchor Bay. In places surrounding the City, like The waterfront, Chapmans Peak, Signal Hill, Houtbay etc canons can still be found.

Observatory was used as an observation base at the time for the surrounding canons, hense the same observatory.

1700

In 1700's the British arrived and settled in parts of South Africa.

The Dutch with all their resources tried protecting the land by blocking parts of the beach close to Sea Point with Three Anchors. This is where the name came about Three Anchor Bay.

In 1795 a war broke out at the Cape between the Dutch and the British. This war was called the Battle of Muizenberg. The British used canons which led to the Dutch eventually retreating. This war led to the takeover of the British for a few years.

The entire City Seaboard and Peninsula is covered as part of an 8 hour guided tour of The Cape Peninsula, The tour also visits some of the canons that was used in the 1700s

1800

In the 1800's the Dutch tried to take control again, this happended in 1804 and 1805. However in 1806 the British were undefeated and the British colony ruled until 1910 when the union of South Africa took control.

1900

In 1961 South Africa become the republic of South Africa.

In the 1900's South Africa brought upon laws and removed themselves from the commonwealth. Their plans were to separate the people of South Africa according to race, this term was referred to as "Apartheid", meaning separation.

The white apartheid government separated South Africa according to race and people were placed in groups. Legislative laws came into place and Cape Town was now divided into groups according to race.

Everything was dived such as universities, schools, beaches, areas, jobs, buses, benches, public parks etc.

The groups area act was a law established by the white apartheid government, it meant that communities from 48 areas were forcibly removed when the group areas act came into force. District 6 was one of these areas, approximately 60.000 people were forcibly removed from District6 .

An informative guided tour on the history of Cape Town and district 6 is included in 2 of Cape Coastal Tours private Cape Town tour packages, the Table Mountain and Robben Island tour.

The fight to freedom led to the loss of many lives.

The former president Nelson Mandela also known as "Madiba" spent 27 years in prison under the aparhied rule in his fight to freedom, most of this 27 years was spent on Robben Island.

1990

In 1990 Nelson Mandela gave his first speech at the city hall in Cape Town. He appealed to South Africans to strive for peace and to become a democracy. In 1994 apartheid ended and this was the starting point of a new era in South African history.

All South Africans were finally free of racial segregation and were given equal rights and opportunities.

Cape Town has something that appeals to everyone. Let us show you what the Mother City has to offer

2017

A collection of comments from our guests.

The Ocean Water is amazingly clean! I saw pictures before I came but I assumed it was a good photography I totally enjoyed the sea. Ill come back just for the water. Jenny from Texas

The boat rides were amazing. The views from the ocean are magnificent and the operators are awesome. even the seals are friendly. I particularly enjoyed the boat trip to the seals from hout bay. The experience was short but memorable. David from Ontario

I loved the architecture. 1 minute you are in a modern hotel, the next you standing in a 16th century castle, by the afternoon you see a row of well maintained Historical Dutch buildings - fully functional.

Cape towns water streams are pure and fresh. The tap water is also good quality and available everywhere, freely! The water tastes good and is safe to drink from the faucet. It might not be a big deal to locals but many countries dont have this luxury

Cape Town Food is really cheap we would have paid triple in the UK

Cape Town beef and seafood is very good quality

We spent too little days in Cape Town and there is so many things to do

Cape Town has a large variety of fish

Cape Town streets are really clean

Cape Town is developed like Europe

The people of Cape Town are all so friendly

I can't believe people in Cape Town are allowed to sit behind a pickup (Bakkie)

Cape Town offers unique wine tasting (Wine and cheese, Wine and meat, wine and chocolate)

Cape Town beaches are really cold

Road signs in Cape Town are funny e.g. potholes in road way, penguins in road way, be on the lookout for golfers etc.

Simon's Town, Victorian style buildings remind us of New Orleans

Is Simon's Town architecture not French?

We love the way South Africa's money look.

It is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has amazing natural beauty at every corner. Cape Town inherits one of the richest floral kingdoms on the world, the whitest beaches of the Atlantic and Indian ocean, and harvests Green lavish forests and lush gardens.