Swan Hellenic West and South Africa: 11 nights from Cape Town with SH Diana
Mar 25, 2026

Cape Town

In the heart of South Africa's breathtaking landscapes, there is a city shrouded in mystical aura and historical mysteries, and it’s Cape Town. This is a place where the grandeur of mountain peaks, endless beaches, and the turbulent ocean waters converge, create beauty and magic. Cape Town is graced by its iconic symbol – Table Mountain, which towers over the city like a guardian of ancient secrets and legends. Visitors can ascend this natural wonder to enjoy stunning views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean coastline.

Cape Town is also renowned for its cultural diversity. It attracts artists, musicians, and writers from all parts of the world, inspiring them with its unique atmosphere. The streets of Cape Town are vibrant with local markets, street art, and cafes offering dishes from various parts of Africa and the world. An interesting fact about Cape Town is its unique geography. The city is located at the southernmost tip of the continent, where the Table Bay is one of the largest and deepest natural harbors in the world. This makes it an ideal departure point for cruises along the Atlantic Ocean.

Cruises from Cape Town offer exciting journeys along the shores of South Africa, including stops at historic sites like Robben Island, where political prisoners of the apartheid era, including Nelson Mandela, were imprisoned. If you're interested in the underwater world, you can visit the largest aquarium in the Southern Hemisphere. For photography enthusiasts, we recommend the Bo-Kaap district, where houses are painted in vibrant colors.

Cruises from Cape Town also provide the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of South Africa's Western Cape, encountering wildlife and national parks, majestic waterfalls and endless beaches along the way. Cape Town not only impresses with its beauty and cultural heritage but also serves as the perfect starting point for thrilling cruise adventures, allowing guests to discover all the grandeur and diversity of this remarkable part of Africa.

The mother city of South Africa occupies one of the most beautiful positions in the world, with an iconic mountain located right in its center. As beautiful as the beaches and surrounding vineyards, the harsh desert of Table Mountain is covered with a unique flora, which captures everyone's attention.

With 6.5 million international tourists, South Africa appears to be the first destination in Africa. The inhabitants of Cape Town are truly open to tourism, which began at the threshold of the 90s, at the end of apartheid. Thanks to a significant regional and European tourism development, in recent years, the nation has grown considerably. African visitors are distinguished from those from overseas, differentiated by the activities carried out and seasonal movements.

But everyone participates fully in the development of the tourism sector. For lovers of architecture, the city is also famous for its colonial style, called Cape Dutch, particularly evident in the Constantia districts. During your stay in this fabulous place, you can stroll through the main streets: starting from Piazza Heerengracht where the first camp of the East India Company was founded. A short distance away, shopping lovers can also enjoy and discover Adderley Street, the main shopping street.

Without forgetting Government Avenue, where passers-by will find themselves in a beautiful glazed walkway of ancient oaks. Here museums abound, such as the Museum of History and Culture, the oldest South African institute after the Castle of Good Hope, residence of the city's first governors in the second half of the 17th century.

Langebaan

Luderitz

Walvis Bay

Set sail on an extraordinary cruise from Walvis Bay, Namibia, a unique coastal city nestled between the vast Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. Known for its abundant birdlife, seal colonies, and stunning desert landscapes, Walvis Bay offers an unparalleled departure point for exploring the dramatic coast of Namibia and beyond. Prepare for a journey filled with incredible wildlife, breathtaking natural beauty, and unforgettable discoveries in one of Africa's most captivating regions.

Walvis Bay

Set sail on an extraordinary cruise from Walvis Bay, Namibia, a unique coastal city nestled between the vast Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. Known for its abundant birdlife, seal colonies, and stunning desert landscapes, Walvis Bay offers an unparalleled departure point for exploring the dramatic coast of Namibia and beyond. Prepare for a journey filled with incredible wildlife, breathtaking natural beauty, and unforgettable discoveries in one of Africa's most captivating regions.

Ilha dos Tigres

Namibe

Luanda

 Capital of Angola, in southern Africa. Luanda is divided into two main areas which include first the lower city, around its bay (including the ancient colonial city, the fortress and the port) and secondly the upper city, the modern district.

Forty years of civil war left Angola cut off from the rest of the world until 2002. Now increasingly courted by Western countries for its oil exports, it is becoming more and more a regional power willing to compete directly on many diplomatic issues.
The main and memorable places of this city are:
The fortress of São Miguel, ideally located, was built in 1576 by the Portuguese to defend Luanda from its assailants from Europe. The walls of the fortress house statues and old war equipment and a small chapel, where you have an incredible and complete view of the city.
Luanda has three museums, the Museo de Historia Natural, the Museo das Forcas Central, here is located in the oldest palace in the city, and the Museu de Antropologia, here shows African masks, native instruments, and hunting artifacts. Architecture enthusiasts should not miss the colonial churches of Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré and Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, from the 17th century.
The Marginal, more formally known as Avenida 4 de Fevreiro, is the avenue along the bay of Luanda. Starting from the port to the entrance of the Ilha peninsula, meeting the city center with the new and old buildings and many towers under construction, various of the most beautiful restaurants in the city and the local yacht club. The Marginal is also flanked by old colonial buildings, used for public offices. (National Bank, Post Office, Industry Museums, Ministry of Communication, etc.).
Luanda has a tropical climate. The average annual temperature is 24°C: the average winter from January reached 27°C, with a maximum of 30°C and a minimum of 24°C; summer average in July drops to 21°C, with a maximum of 24°C and a minimum of 18°C.
The inhabitants of Luanda are mainly of African ethnic groups, but also present a small community of Portuguese origin. Many Brazilians have arrived recently, following the economic recovery that followed the end of the civil war. It has an official language, which is also the most widely spoken, Portuguese.