The V&A Waterfront is one of Africa’s most popular destinations with more than 24 million visitors every year. But just a few decades ago, South Africa’s oldest working harbour was an uninviting, industrial port. The place that sailors once called the Tavern of the Seas found itself cut off from Cape Town and its people.
How were the strong bonds between the city and its port broken? And how has the V&A Waterfront worked to rebuild them, creating new ways for everyone to rediscover Cape Town’s connection with the sea?
On this audio walking tour, you’ll find answers to these questions in unusual objects like shipping containers and unfinished highways. You’ll learn about the humble beginnings of the V&A Waterfront, starting in 1989 with Ferryman’s Tavern, and meet some of the characters who’ve helped shape its evolution.
Together, we’ll navigate currents of history and culture into the present, and whether this is your first time at the V&A Waterfront, or your hundred and first, this walking tour will open your eyes to hidden traces of the past, the complex dance of daily operations, and the exciting opportunities of the future.
Tour details
- Duration: The tour takes 1 hour.
- Location: Start at the V&A Waterfront Information Centre and finish at the Zeitz MOCAA in the Silo District.
- Cost: This tour is free.
What you need
- You’ll need a smartphone or tablet, an internet connection (for download only), and a pair of earphones.
- Free earphones are available from the Information Centre. Please ask one of our friendly visitor service staff for a pair.
- Free Wifi is also available. Please ask our visitor service staff for the Wifi password.
How it works
1. First, download and install the VoiceMap app. Click here for Android. Click here for iStore.
2. Sign up using Facebook or email.
3. Select Cape Town.
4. Select and download the free tour Reinventing the Tavern of the Seas.
5. Once the tour has finished downloading, plug in your headphones and tap Start.
VoiceMap works offline and uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. So, you can put your device away and focus on your surroundings. If you do wander off course, we’ll let you know. And you can always take a quick look at the map on your screen.
Click here to download the brochure.
