From Cape Town's beaches and scenic mountain hikes to its best vineyards and hotels: An ultimate guide to the South African hot spot that has it all

From Cape Town's beaches and scenic mountain hikes to its best vineyards and hotels: An ultimate guide to the South African hot spot that has it all.

With its towering mountains, penguin-strewn beaches and world-class vineyards, Cape Town has it own.

Room rates at its best hotels are eye-wateringly costly, but everything else is absurdly cheap - a decent bottle of everyday wine, for example, will set you back only £2.

Here is MailOnline Travel's tested-and-approved guide; from hotels and restaurants to experiences including a cable car ride up Table Mountain, a drop-in to a penguin-populated beach and the chance to swim with seals in the wild.

Hotels

Ellerman House

 

 

Packed with old-world charm, Ellerman House is always quoted when you ask a well-heeled local for recommendations. The service is solid, but they largely leave you alone.

 

 

 

Nestled on the beach with unbeatable sunsets every evening, Tintswalo will leave you feeling worlds away from the city, despite being a mere 20 minutes out.

 

 

 

Nestled on the beach with unbeatable sunsets every evening, Tintswalo will leave you feeling worlds away from the city, despite being a mere 20 minutes out

 

 

 

 

Its terraced-villas are enormous, with cool blue hues throughout and its deep bath tubs (right) are something special, despite being a mere 20 minutes out

Price: From £260 (R 4,310) per night

Service: 4/5

Twentytwo

 

 

Run by a delightful couple who are always on hand for advice and direction, this is a great option for tighter budgets

 

 

 

The service really stood out here - it felt more like being the guest of a friend than just another hotel patron. Twentytwo is quirky, centrally located, with a great pool and the rooms are comfortable - all-in-all, a bargain.