Where to stay in Cape Town: Sea Point or De Waterkant?

Sea Point or the Vortican. Two really different stays, but two really great and strong locations for you to consider staying in. Now, in today's vlog, I'm going to take you along and walk both of those areas to explore what they have to offer. Sea Point is a life by the ocean. Sunrise and sunset walks on the beautiful long promenade, swimming in the pavilion pools or cafes on Regent's Road. De Vaultican is cobbles and courtyards, quaint cafes, small squares, rooftop bars and a really lively nightlife. So which of these areas is quieter to stay midweek? And which ones can you get the best price in? If you stay in the right location, I'm going to show you where you should stay and parts of each area that you should absolutely avoid. I'll take you around to coffee shops, to supermarkets, and show you absolutely everything that each of these two contrasting but great areas have to offer. By the end of the video, you'll know exactly where to stay and whether Sea Point or Dvotican is right for you. When you come to visit the beautiful mother city of Cape Town, seapoint is everyday Cape Town. Morning jogs and cold swims, sunset walks, shops and cafes, all on your doorstep. It's why we chose to make this area our home. This promenade, which stretches all the way down to Green Point, links parks, pools and rocky coves. The Pavilion pools opened in 1914 after a storm wrecked the first baths. Cafes line Regent Road and lots of the apartments here and hotels are suitable for long stays. If you want ocean air and long walks on foot, then this is definitely a place you should consider. If you want a fantastic place to come and watch sunset from, then this is a great location. What a beautiful evening in Sea Point. Lots of people out and about enjoying a lovely sunset. And it's surrounded by Lion's Head and the promenade that goes all the way up to Mull Point. Even take a sauna if you've gone for a dip in the ocean. You can see this is a really popular place for people to come and enjoy an amazing sunset. One of the things you should definitely do when you're in Cape Town. Lots of great hotels. The stout here is the Peninsula Hotel. The President's Hotel is just down here and just there. And then you've got also park hotels here as well, so plenty of choice of places to stay. And as you can see, it's right on the end of Regent's Road, which is where all the shops are, as well as lots of apartments. The Sea Point Promenade is one of our Favourite places and one of the things that really attracted us to this area. It runs along the Atlantic from Mule Point to Bantry Bay and it's about 6km end to end. You will see distance markers as you walk and There's a popular 2 and a half and 5k loops which are really easy for daily walks or runs. And it's a really fantastic place to be out in the evening when everyone is out and about. And you'll see sunrise, walkers, prams, kids on bikes, people jogging, dogs, and it really makes this route feel very much alive. Now, on your walk, you'll see the Sea Point Pavilion pools, which first opened in 1895 and then were rebuilt in opened in 1914. You'll also pass lots of apartments, cafes and small parks. It's one of the reasons why we love Sea Point so much. It's a real tourist attraction. So even if you choose not to stay in Sea Point, I'd highly recommend coming down and taking a stroll in the morning or in the evening. Welcome to Mojo Market in the centre of Sea Point on Regent's Road, a short walk from the promenade. This is a busy food hall under one roof. Think sushi burgers, cap filet curries, oysters, vegan bowls, gelato and other sweet treats. And there's live music most nights, big screens on game days, local craft beer and wine by the glass. So grab a table, order from any of the stalls and pay at the counter. And most places you're going to pay with a card. And it's open daily until late. Now, upstairs is a bit breezier with views of Lionhead and downstairs. Puts you closer to the bands and karaoke, if that's your thing. It's definitely family friendly and good for groups. Of course, that means everyone can choose their own meal, but of course make sure you keep an eye on your bag at peak times and after dark, make sure you get an Uber or a Bolt back home. If you want an easy night with lots of choice and great fun with a really great vibe, then Mojo Market is definitely somewhere you should go for a cost effective and you'll have a great fun evening. So let's wrap this segment up by sharing three reasons why you might want to stay in Seapoint and three reasons why it might not be for you. And reason number one is its convenience, its location, its walkability. The fact there's lots of cafes, shops, gyms and an amazing long stretch of promenade makes it a fantastic location to base yourself. Secondly, if you want to stay here for an extended period of time, There are plenty of apartments and hotels to choose from, so it makes it great for longer stays. And thirdly, there are some great beaches here, but if you go a bit in that direction, you head towards Camps Bay and Clifton, where there are some beautiful sandy beaches. So, talking of sandy beaches, let's talk about three reasons why this might not be the right location for you. And first of all, because the beaches are not that sandy. They're sort of a cross between pebbles and sand. So if you want a day sunbathing where you can sunbathe here, and certainly people are watching sunset over there in the evenings, but if you want a sandy beach for the day, you might be better off heading towards Canter Bay or Clifton. Second of all, like everywhere in Cape Town, in sort of October, November, December and into January, it can be really windy here. I have to say, where I'm based, sort of on the border of Sea Point and Bantry Bay, we are somewhat protected by the wind, so you can be led into a full sense of security. It's not too windy, and then come out and find it super windy. And lastly, it can be noisy at night, so the Regent Road here or main road can be noisy at night. So if you don't like that exciting nightlife, then you'll want to stay somewhere else or at least make sure you are staying off the main drag. So that is Sea Point somewhere that we would definitely Recommend Staying. About 3 miles from sea Point, you'll arrive in Devorterkamp, between the VA waterfront and Signal Hill and just after Greenpoint. Now, I've stayed in Duwortican a few times myself, so it always feels like home when I come back here. De Vorticant means the waterside. These streets grew up next to the old docks in the late 17 and 1800s and you can still see the cobbles, the flat roof, cottages and later Victorian details. Over time, old warehouses and homes became cafes, boutiques and small apartments. The Cape Quarter tied it together as a neighbourhood hub. The daytime is calm with coffee shops, restaurants and co working spaces. And the evening brings bars and an LGBTQ friendly scene. So if you want a compact base with character and easy walking distance to the city and to the B and A, then this is a location to base yourself. So let's go and have a stroll around. If you're going to stay in this area, you're likely to stay in an Airbnb and there are lots of lovely apartment blocks around. So here you can see the Rockwell center and a little further up you'll find this building where I've stayed before plus some Airbnbs up this, up this street here. So this is the back of the signature building that I've stayed in. And we've also stayed in the Victoria Junction before. Although the apartments here are lovely high ceiling, they are a little bit older. And finally another location that I stayed in before which is on Prestwick street is the Docklands. And what's nice about this is that on the very top deck there is a really nice bright and pool area and you are above Vida Cafe and very close to the Ina waterfront. So you're just gonna walk down there and if you walk up just behind the Vorterkan. So I just walked up Napier street and I'm now on Dvorkan Street. You'll find all of these beautiful colored homes and the cobble streets that I mentioned earlier. And it's definitely worth taking a walk around here because it's very pretty and just another part of the Dvortican area to explore and consider staying in. And the good thing about staying around here is it's going to be nice and quiet. But you can see how pretty and quaint it is around here. Isn't it nice how people take pride in their homes and keep them in such good order? So let's go and explore the Cape Quarter which as I said is the kind of central hub of Tvoterkant. So this is the Cape Quarter where you'll find lots of coffee shops. There's a spa for your food, tops for your alcohol, pet shop. When I stayed here, this was my local place to come and have coffee in the morning or a smoothie at lunchtime to sort out all of my phone needs. There's a Vodacom here as well which is shut at the moment. On the fourth floor there is also a gym that I used to be a member of. Certainly a nice place to come on a Sunday morning and explore the area. So as I said, there's something going on here with lots of different Italian stores just opening up. Lots of bloody cheeses there, Limoncello. I feel like I should go and sample all the Italian food and compare it to the authentic Italian food that we had when we were in Italy. Anyway, this is the Cape Quarter which as I said is a sort of central hub of the De Vortican area. Definitely worth a visit. So let's wrap this segment up by showing three reasons why you should stay in Divortican and three reasons why it might not be right for you. First of all, it's really centrally located, so your minute of a walk from the VA down behind me or to the CBD area to my left and also to Fanwalk as well. Secondly, this is another great location for long term stays. There are lots of great Airbnbs close by, lots of nice apartments as well as cafes, restaurants, coffee shops and so on. And thirdly, this is definitely the kind of gay centre of Cape Town, so it's very much an LGBTQ friendly location. So if that's what you're worried about, then do stay here. And of course there are the bars like Manhattan's here as well. Okay, so let's share with you three reasons why this might not be the best location for you. So first of all it can get quite noisy at night, especially at weekends. There are lots of clubs and bars around, so if you want somewhere quiet, this might not be for you. And if you do stay here, then stay off the main Somerset Road area. Second of all, there's limited green space and there's no sea close by. So if you want a kind of a beach oriented vacation, then stay Sea Point or Camps Bay or Clifton area instead. And lastly, there's quite a few steep streets and cobbled roads that you'd need to walk up. And to be quite honest, it can be a little bit sketchy at night around here. So again, don't walk, just grab an Uber. So here is my quick brief verdict between Sea Point and Vorticant. So if you want want somewhere that's close to the sea that's really lively with great walks, that's pretty flat, then Sea Point is definitely for you. But of course the downside is the wind in October, November, December, January. And also it can be noisy. And of course the sea is bloody freezing as well. On the other hand, the Vortican is really compact and stylish. It's definitely a gay friendly area with a quaint Cape Quarter and lots of bars and cafes and restaurants. But it can be quite noisy and perhaps safety isn't quite as high as I would rate. Sea Point So pick Sea Point if you want daily walks, self catering and lots of open air. And pick the Vortican if you want cafes, co working space and nightlife on your doorstep. So that's it from me. Today in the last of our three part series we'll be contrasting two very different areas, the VA waterfront and also the City bowl area. And to be quite honest, the two places couldn't be more different. So make sure you've hit subscribe so that you're alerted when the next video goes live. And if you found this useful, please do hit the like button because it really helps the algorithm. Show our videos to more people just like you. Other than that, this is Rob and James, who's sadly in the cold uk and we will see you next time.