The V&A Waterfront is the most visited destination in South Africa — a working harbour redeveloped in the early 1990s into a mixed-use waterfront precinct of shops, restaurants, hotels, museums and outdoor performance spaces. The combination of real harbour activity (fishing boats, container vessels) with tourist amenities in a spectacular Table Mountain setting makes it uniquely appealing.
From the waterfront you can catch the ferry to Robben Island, visit the Zeitz MOCAA contemporary art museum in the converted grain silo, watch penguins in the Two Oceans Aquarium, or simply wander the Victoria and Alfred basins and watch the trawlers come in. Nobel Square has bronze statues of South Africa's four peace prize laureates. The Clock Tower Precinct, where the original port authority building stands, is a quieter corner with a good view back toward the city.
The shopping complex is large and well-stocked; the market area has craft stalls that are a cut above most tourist markets. The waterfront can feel overwhelmingly commercial during peak season, but early mornings and evenings it recovers some character. Sunset from the harbour wall, with Table Mountain glowing above the city, is a Cape Town classic.