Cape Town is magnificent

The skyline of Cape Town is dominated by Table Mountain, shown in this photo.

You take an aerial tram up to the top (about 3,300 ft. above sea level), and look back down on the city, as shown in this next photo. I happened to capture some kids preparing to abseil down the sheer rock face, and I thought it gave a good idea of just how high we were and how close the city is to this gorgeous hunk of rock.

Looking south (the picture above was sort of facing north), you can see how this massive rock formation extends into the distance. At the end of the peninsula, you find the Cape of Good Hope, shown in this next photo. The incredibly scenic drive from the city to the Cape takes a little less than two hours.

This next photo shows the Cape from above and from the other side as shown in the above photo. This Cape has been the bane of mariners for over 500 years, as it marks the confluence of two ocean currents which help generate unpredictable and terribly fierce weather. It's very close to being the most southern portion of the African Continent (but I would note that almost half of Argentina and Chile lie even further south).

Finally, a shot of some of the hundreds of African penguins you can see about halfway from the city to the Cape of Good Hope, on the eastern side of the peninsula. The government has done a great job of preserving their habitat right in the middle of an upscale community on the waterfront. Really worth a visit.

All of this majestic scenery right next to and within a short drive of Cape Town really sets it apart. It's really a world-class city in every sense.