The Cape Town City Bowl is a natural amphitheatre-shaped area, bordered by Table Bay and defined by the mountains of Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill and Table Mountain. The City Bowl is the heart of Cape Town neatly enfolded by the harbor and the mountain. The area is the pulse of Cape Town and is a melting pot of diversity and culture. Skirting the City Centre, the trendy suburbs of the City Bowl were once farmlands; today they are filled with flats, houses, hostels, boutique hotels and fabulous restaurants, bars, coffee shops and music venues.
The City Bowl is a major business district and financial centre of the Western Cape province. The South African parliament is located in the City Bowl in Plein Street. The area is also home to the Western Cape provincial government and the head offices of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The Cape Town City Bowl has some of the most interesting and historically significant neighbourhoods. The Cape Town City Centre is encircled by these suburbs and the closer one gets to the mountain, the steeper they become, with Higgovale and Oranjezicht lying right up on the slopes of Table Mountain.
Cape Town’s City Bowl has much to offer visitors with numerous coffee shops, trendy restaurants, markets and sophisticated nightclubs. On a clear day, a ride up Table Mountain with the cable car, is one activity not to be missed. There is also the option of hiking up to the summit of Lion’s Head, a cone shaped mountain next to the table top.
Suburbs in the Cape Town City Bowl include:
Bo-Kaap
The Bo-Kaap in Cape Town can be found on the hillside of Signal Hill. The area is also known as the Malay Quarter where you will find cobbled streets, steep inclines and colourful buildings. The Bo-Kaap is a place of historical significance for the Cape Malay culture, and is one of the oldest areas in Cape Town… read more
Cape Town City Centre
The Cape Town City Centre is a major business district and financial centre of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The regeneration of the city centre has turned it into one of the trendiest spots in the country, and recent years have seen a huge increase in restaurants and bars making it the ultimate work, live, play destination… read more
Century City
Century City is a suburb of Cape Town, structured as a mixed-use development which includes entertainment, residential, retail and office components. It is located 10km to the northeast of the Cape Town City Center, along the N1 highway… read more
De Waterkant
De Waterkant is situated next to Cape Town’s central business district on the southeastern end of Somerset Road. It is bordered on the south by the colorful district of Bo-Kaap, the V&A Waterfront to the north and Green Point to the North West. De Waterkant has become a sought after address… read more
Foreshore
The Foreshore is situated in Cape Town between the historic city centre and the modern Port of Cape Town. The land itself was reclaimed from the ocean and helped to extend the area inland for about 2km. The Foreshore is located on the waters of Table Bay… read more
Gardens
The Gardens is a suburb of Cape Town located just to the south of the city centre. It is situated directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, on the higher elevations of the “City Bowl”. The Gardens is an affluent neighbourhood populated mostly by young professionals… read more
Higgovale
Higgovale is a relatively small but wealthy community of Cape Town. It is situated to the south of Camps Bay Drive and is bordered by Camps Bay to the west and Oranjezicht to the east. Lions Head is situated in the immediate northwest of Higgovale… read more
Oranjezicht
Oranjezicht is a suburb of Cape Town, built on the site of the old Oranjezicht farm which supplied the Castle of Good Hope with fresh fruit and vegetables, and used to stretch at least as far as the Mount Nelson Hotel… read more
Salt River
The Cape Town suburb of Salt River is located the east of the city centre, near Table Bay, Woodstock, and Observatory. It is named after the Salt River, which is formed by the confluence of Liesbeeck and Black Rivers… read more
Tamboerskloof
The Cape Town suburb of Tamboerskloof lies on the slopes of Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. It is situated next to the neighbourhoods of Gardens and Bo-Kaap, at the foot of Lion’s Head… read more
University Estate
The mainly residential suburb of University Estate is located at the foot of Devil’s Peak to the east of the Cape Town City Centre. It is bounded by De Waal Drive to the south, Mountain Road the west and the Eastern Boulevard to the north… read more
Vredehoek
The Cape Town suburb of Vredehoek is located between Oranjezicht and Devil’s Peak. Because of its location on the slopes of Table Mountain, residents of Vredekloof have excellent views of Cape Town and the harbour… read more
Woodstock
You will find the Cape Town suburb of Woodstock about a kilometer east of the Cape Town City Centre, between Table Bay and the lower slopes of Devil’s Peak. Even though it is one of the oldest suburbs in Cape Town, Woodstock is also one of the hippest… read more
