Near the southern tip of Africa, a dark jagged mountain range soars 3,500 feet above the Atlantic Ocean as it stretches along Cape Peninsula. Cape Town hugs a harbor near the rugged spine's most prominent feature, Table Mountain. The landmark regularly snags clouds, covering itself with what locals call its "tablecloth."

With less than two days to tour Cape Town, South Africa, before setting sail on the Seven Seas Mariner's transatlantic voyage, I choose highlights that capture the city's natural beauty, history and culture. To start my adventure, I head to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a dynamic dining, shopping and entertainment complex.

Sailing yachts and fishing vessels dock in basins rimmed with restored warehouses and sleek new structures. Visitors from near and far stroll through malls and along the quays. Two Oceans Aquarium exhibits the diversity of sea life in the ocean lapping the Cape Peninsula coast while the South African Maritime Museum displays a model ship collection. Chic boutiques to craft markets sell everything from simple souvenirs to huge ostrich eggs and exquisite African artifacts.

Attired in colorful shirts, a group of men serenades pedestrians with tribal songs. Around another bend, silver-painted mimes pose. Visitors seemingly of every skin color and language watch in fascination.

A crowd clusters on a plaza. Craning my neck to see what the attraction is, I see a pedestrian bridge swing aside, giving right of way to a sailboat. As we wait, a light drizzle falls. When the bridge moves back into position, people flow over it in both directions, staying to the left in the British manner.

On the other side of the waterway, the bright red Clock Tower houses an information center. Stepping inside the historic structure, I ask the receptionist whether the cable car to Table Mountain operates when it rains. "The only thing that stops it from running is strong winds," she assures me. After calling to inquire about the visibility, she urges me to visit this "must see" attraction and phones for a Rikkis to pick me up.

This type of taxi may be Cape Town's least expensive and most entertaining mode of hired transportation. It looks like a mini pickup truck. The driver sits in the cab and passengers climb through a door in the back onto bench seats. A domed roof protects us from the elements but obstructs views.

The inexpensive fare of US$3 comes with the price of an extended, roundabout ride as we detour to residential areas to pick up other riders with destinations somewhat along the way. As a first-time visitor to Cape Town, I enjoy this chance to see neighborhoods and beach communities I would have missed otherwise. Narrow, steep streets wind past stucco homes beautified with cascading flowers. Pristine beaches scallop the shoreline.

As I ride the cable car up Table Mountain, a lovely, late–afternoon vista of Cape Town and Table Bay unfolds. The circular car rotates, affording every passenger a 360-degree view. Bright pink and blue sails brighten the gray rocky slope as parasailers leap off the mountain.

Atop, I stroll a groomed path, soaking in the grand panoramas that stretch in all directions. Shrubby vegetation called fynbos hugs the ground. This species includes heaths, reeds and proteas, including the King Protea, the flower that is South Africa's national emblem.

To the south, Cape Peninsula's sawtooth spine juts into the ocean. Home to ostriches, baboons and jackass penguins, the land mass is also known for its extraordinary floral community. Nearly 2,300 species have been recorded, resulting in the peninsula's nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

To the north, the coastline curves from the posh community of Clifton to the bowl that cradles Cape Town's city core. Lion's Head, Devil's Peak and Maclears Beacon frame the view. In the distance, Robben Island glimmers in Table Bay. Its idyllic setting belies its notorious historic reputation as a dumping ground for lepers, lunatics and opponents of apartheid.

The following day, I board a boat at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for the 3½-hour tour of Robben Island. Despite its appalling history, I feel compelled to visit to garner some understanding of pre- and post-apartheid South Africa. The island is now a World Heritage Site museum at which both former guards and prisoners work.

After a refreshing half-hour boat ride, we arrive in Murray's Bay Harbor. Cormorants stand on the breakwater like sentries. I cram onto a bus with tourists from countries as diverse as Sweden and Trinidad. Sobantu Stofile, of the Xhosa tribe, describes in impeccable English how lepers from throughout South Africa were exiled to the island from 1846 to 1931. Their graveyard and church are the only vestiges of that era.

We pass a convict prison built in the 1970s and the village precinct where guards and their families, totaling a population of 1,300, once resided. Today, fewer than 200 people live on the island.

The road then winds through a nature reserve. Springboks, a type of antelope, prong through the grasses while white-dotted guinea fowl skitter into bushes. Crowned with impressive antlers, a European farrow deer struts by.

At the limestone quarry, Sobantu tells us how South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, and 30 other political prisoners excavated limestone here eight hours a day, five days a week for 13½ years. Their tools consisted only of hand picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

A mound of stones sits at the entrance. When apartheid ended, former political prisoners, including whites, held a "rock breaking" ceremony. "The stones are different colors, sizes and shapes, symbolizing the country's different cultural backgrounds," Sobantu explains. "They formed one nation — the 'Rainbow Nation' of South Africa."

At the final stop, the maximum security facility for political prisoners, a former inmate describes in an eerie monotone the humiliation and brutality they endured. I peer into the tiny cell in which Nelson Mandela spent 18 years. A red bucket, mat for his bed, blanket, short bench, and metal bowl and cup are its only contents. Fortunately, the strides of post-apartheid South Africa have transformed this oppressive site into a symbol of triumph of the human spirit.

Before boarding the boat, I stroll a boardwalk to a shore where African penguins cluster. Their natural beauty and innocence help quell the disturbing experience of visiting Robben Island.

Back at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the piers bustle with locals and visitors of various races. The air carries sounds of English, Bantu, Afrikaans and other languages. Minstrels strum banjos. Through song and dance, street performers dressed in bright orange coveralls chronicle life as Johannesburg gold miners. One grabs the feet of another, turning him upside down to shake out stolen nuggets.

A shop named Waterfront World of Wines boasts racks of delectable South African wines from Stellensboch, Paarl, Franschhoek and other renowned areas. Seated on a balcony overlooking Victoria Basin, I sample pinotage, cape blend and other flavorful selections from the extensive tasting menu.

As I admire the shimmering harbor, I savor these last fleeting moments in Cape Town.

IF YOU GO:

Location:Cape Town is located on the southwestern coast of South Africa. Many international airlines serve its airport.

Attractions:
Get oriented to the city at the information center in the Clock Tower at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The staff will help you plan your visit.
The Nelson Mandela Gateway, from which tours of Robben Island start, is located at the V&A Waterfront.

Currency: The South African currency is the Rand. Calculate your current exchange rate.

For more information: For detailed information about attractions, lodging and dining in Cape Town and the surrounding area, visit the Cape Town Tourism and South Africa Tourism websites. For information about Radisson Seven Seas cruises to South Africa, visit their website.

For more information about Robben Island: Read the story about this UNESCO World Heritage Site found on One World Heritage.