Cape Town is a fantastic year-round destination. No matter when you visit, there is relaxation or action aplenty. The famed beaches are best visited in the summer months from November to February. In January the colourful, musical Cape Minstrels Carnival (or Kaapse Klopse) takes place on the 2nd of Jan as the city takes to the streets to dance and cheer the minstrels as they go by.
In March, Cape Town hosts the largest timed cycle race in the world – The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour – where over 38 000 cyclists of all ages and fitness levels compete in the 105km route all around the beautiful Cape Peninsula. Also in March is a not-to-be-missed fixture in any music lover’s diary – The Cape Town International Jazz Festival with a dynamic programme of local and international artists.
With the weather slightly cooler in April, the city holds the 56km Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra-Marathon that winds its way around the scenic Cape Peninsula. Followed by the official Culinary Month of May in a city notorious for its high standard of cuisine including the Cape Gourmet Food Festival, as well as the Riebeek Valley and Prince Albert Olive Festivals.
Even though winter often has balmy sunny days, it can be a little wet – perfect film weather. Encounters is an annual South African International Documentary Festival hosted in June, which showcases a selection of documentary films from around the world, with a particular focus on South African work.
July in the prestigious Cape Wine Country sees the Stellenbosch Wine Festival, which gives visitors the opportunity to sample fine wines and gourmet cuisine whilst exploring the quaint Cape Dutch town with its ancient oaks and winding thatch-building-lined lanes. In addition, Franschhoek’s Bastille Festival gives visitors the chance to celebrate the valley’s centuries-old French Huguenot. Plus, Cape Town’s International Fashion Week showcases with the latest designs from both established and up-and-coming local fashion designers.
The normally dry and dusty Cedeberg is transformed in August into a beautiful bouquet with fields of flowers at the Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show. With the whales in the bay from July to November, The Hermanus Whale Festival is a 10-day festival held every September about an hour’s drive from Cape Town that celebrates the annual return of the majestic Southern Right Whales to South African waters.
And to wrap up a year of colour and adventure, every Christmas Adderley Street in the city centre is lit up with streetlights and is also the venue for the popular Christmas Street Night Market with an array of stalls and some great entertainment.