A symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over diversity, suffering and injustice.
Located on the West Coast Way Cape Route Way
West Coast Way Is South Africa’s Road Trip With The Most Twists
Explore the Cape West Coast by planning a self-drive trip or book a guided tour for a nature and adventure-filled Cape West Coast holiday.
Find a 101+ things to see and do on the West Coast Way:
Enjoy wine, craft beer, olives and Rooibos tea tastings, Weskus cuisine and braaivleis (barbecue), swing into Citrusdal with a zipline, go Cederberg bouldering, jump into natural (warm) pools, step onto cruises of lagoons and rivers, trek through nature reserves and a National Park, hop onto game drives, try the skill of archery and angling, get your adrenaline pumping with sand-boarding and quad-biking, go horse riding, learn about the San culture and Riel-dancing, do kite- and windsurfing, chill in your flip flops and do surfing, book a kayaking trip, go beach hopping, learn about bees, whales and listen to our birds in a twitcher’s paradise – all in South Africa’s wildflower reserve.
For more information on the West Coast’s top places to go, road tripping, hikes, tours and trails, explore westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777. Follow us on @WestCoastWaySA on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.Find Robben Island Museum on the West Coast Way Cape Way Route
This tiny island just a few kilometres out from Table Bay is always inextricably linked with Nelson Mandela, but its history starts many years before he was incarcerated there with other ANC stalwarts.
In the late 1600 ‘s a mad named Autshumato, leader of a group of Khoikhoi and two others were imprisoned there by Jan van Riebeeck. Various leaders of the resistance to Dutch rule in the East Indies found themselves on Robben Island as did Islamic priests for sharing the teachings of Islam to Dutch-owned slaves.
In later years the island was used as a place to incarcerate British military deserters, murderers and criminals, and a hospital was built to house mentally and terminally ill people and lepers.
The climate was harsh and the conditions were brutal, but from every era, stories exist that bare testament to the strength of the human spirit.
The Robben Island experience begins at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. This is where you board the ferry for the trip to the island. Once on the island, you will be taken on a guided bus tour past the Mosque, military battlement, shipwrecks, houses and a church before returning to the main prison block.
Here you will do a guided walk around the prison and hear stories of Mandela, stand in his cell and get a hint of the long years he endured, imprisoned but with a clear view of Cape Town, just out of reach.
The island affords spectacular views of Table Mountain, it is worth getting a photo or two from this vantage point.
A shop selling memorabilia, books and snacks is close to the dock and can be visited before your return.
This trip is a sobering one, but also a triumphant story and a reminder of Nelson Mandela’s words that apply to everyone.
“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another”
On your return to the V&A, do visit the Breakwater Prison on Jetty 1. This is where prisoners were held before they were put on the boat for the island. Various rooms and cells can be seen and heartbreaking letters and other artefacts from those dark days.
Robben Island Museum is located on the West Coast Way Cape Way Route
Open 7 Days a week
Distance from Cape Town: 3.6km
Where: Nelson Mandela Gateway, V&A Waterfront
Contact: +27 (0)21 413 4200 | [email protected]
West Coast Way Is South Africa’s Road Trip With The Most Twists
Explore the Cape West Coast by planning a self-drive trip or book a guided tour for a nature and adventure-filled Cape West Coast holiday.
Find a 101+ things to see and do on the West Coast Way:
Enjoy wine, craft beer, olives and Rooibos tea tastings, Weskus cuisine and braaivleis (barbecue), swing into Citrusdal with a zipline, go Cederberg bouldering, jump into natural (warm) pools, step onto cruises of lagoons and rivers, trek through nature reserves and a National Park, hop onto game drives, try the skill of archery and angling, get your adrenaline pumping with sand-boarding and quad-biking, go horse riding, learn about the San culture and Riel-dancing, do kite- and windsurfing, chill in your flip flops and do surfing, book a kayaking trip, go beach hopping, learn about bees, whales and listen to our birds in a twitcher’s paradise – all in South Africa’s wildflower reserve.
For more information on the West Coast’s top places to go, road tripping, hikes, tours and trails, explore westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777. Follow us on @WestCoastWaySA on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.