The southern suburbs

Away from Table Mountain and the city centre, the bulk of Cape Town’s residential sprawl extends east into South Africa’s interior. It’s here that the southern suburbs, the formerly whites-only residential areas, stretch out down the east side of Table Mountain, ending at Muizenberg on the False Bay coast, with Claremont and Newlands acting as the central pivotal point.

From anywhere in the southern suburbs you can see Table Mountain. The area offers some quick escapes from the city into forests, gardens and vineyards, all hugging the eastern slopes of the mountain and its extension, the Constantiaberg. The quickest way of reaching the southern suburbs from the city centre, Waterfront or City Bowl suburbs is the M3 highway. Alternatively, you can travel by train to Woodstock, Salt River, Observatory, Mowbray, Rosebank and Rondebosch, and all the stations southwards to Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town.