开普敦（cape town）是南非立法首都，重要港口，好望角省首府。始建于1652年，原为东印度公司供应站驻地，是西欧殖民者最早在南部非洲建立的据点，故有“南非诸城之母”之称，长期是荷兰、英国殖民者向非洲内陆扩张的基地。现为立法机关所在地。城市背山面海迤逦展开，西郊濒大西洋，南郊插入印度洋，居两洋之会。

　　cape town lies on the atlantic west coast where a dip in the cold fresh water leaves you zizzing like a mentholated mint. the water may be icy but the sand is hot and the beaches are more sheltered from the renowned cape doctor？south-east wind than those on the east.

　　you can ride a horse， fly a kite， watch penguins， sail a hobie-cat， walk your dog， surf the waves， explore a shipwreck， snorkel in the shallows， dive in the deep or just lie in the sun. your choice of beach will depend not only on the activity you want to do but on which way the wind blows. a howling south-easter can make sunbathing a misery on an exposed eastern beach but might be just the thing for an exhilarating windsurf.

　　the drive from cape town along victoria road to the western peninsula beaches of clifton， camps bay， llandudno and sandy bay provides magnificent views of the jagged peaks of the twelve apostles. but for one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world continue onto chapman's peak drive which skirts the atlantic 600 metres above sea level. the popular resort of hout bay lies at the start of this drive while at the southern end is a breathtaking view of noordhoek's long white beach caressed by an unnaturally blue sea. less accessible and consequently very appealing are the beaches in the cape of good hope nature reserve which are surrounded by more indigenous plant species per square meter than anywhere else in the world.