Bellville, the "heart" of the Northern Suburbs, is situated about 20km (12 miles) from Cape Town’s city centre.

Known as "12 Mile Post" in the old days, Bellville served as an outspan on the first night for travelers on the route from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and beyond.

Bellville was originally founded as a railway station on the line from Cape Town to Stellenbosch and Strand. It was named Bellville on 18 November 1861 in honour of Charles Bell (Surveyor-General of the Cape) and gained municipality status in 1940. Development has been rapid since then.

Today, the original 12-mile milestone still stands at the corner of Voortrekker and Durban Roads as a reminder of its historic past.

Bellville has turned into a bustling "city" and is situated very central, close to the airport, various golf courses, wine routes and shopping complexes. It is also home to Africa's first toboggan track.

In the local music scene Bellville has been nicknamed Bellville Rock City due to the number of popular bands that hail from the city, such as Fokofpolisiekar, Foto Na Dans, Jax Panik, aKING and Die Heuwels Fantasties.

Attractions: Tyger Valley Shopping Centre; Tygerberg Nature Reserve

Tyger Valley Shopping Centre is believed by many to be the retail heart of the fairest Cape. The shopping centre features 275 stores, restaurants, a banking mall with bureau de change facilities, medical and dental facilities and a Ster-Kinekor cinema complex. Located in the expanding Tyger Valley business district, this stylish centre is a mere 12-minute drive from the Cape Town CBD and a stone’s throw away from some of the most scenic wine farms in the country.

The nature reserve is situated on 300ha of beautiful land with breathtaking views of Cape Town and Table Mountain. This reserve represents one of the last enclaves of threatened West Coast renosterveld and thanks to the efforts of the nature conservation branch of the City of Cape Town bontebok roam freely throughout reserve. Activities include hiking trails, local flora and fauna and bird watching. The reserve also has a wheelchair accessible loop trail with lookout points. The entrance to the reserve is situated in Totius Road, Welgemoed.

Durbanville was founded in the early 19th century around a fresh water spring and was primarily a watering station for travelers between Cape Town and the interior. Durbanville was originally known as Pampoenkraal (from the Afrikaans words pampoen meaning pumpkin, and kraal meaning corral - an enclosure for livestock).

During 1836 the inhabitants of Pampoenkraal petitioned the Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Benjamin d'Urban, for permission to rename the village D'Urban in his honour. Permission was duly granted and the new name persisted until 1886 when it was renamed to Durbanville in order to avoid confusion with Durban.

Today, with its upmarket tree-lined residential areas, Durbanville is a much sought after neighbourhood and is situated within minutes from the main highways into the Cape Town city centre and the Cape Boland towns making it conveniently central to both business and leisure activities.

Attractions: Durbanville Wine Valley, Durbanville Golf Course, Durbanville Nature Reserve, Durbanville Racecourse

Nestled in the Tygerberg Hills, a mere 20 minutes drive from Cape Town, lays the Durbanville Wine Valley. With its hectares of flourishing vineyards, award winning wines and hospitable atmosphere.The Durbanville Wine Valley consists of nine wineries, each offering the finest in wines and some of the best fine dining restaurants and intimate country kitchens in the region.

Nestled in the Tygerberg Hills, a mere 20 minutes drive from Cape Town, lays the Durbanville Wine Valley. With its hectares of flourishing vineyards, award winning wines and hospitable atmosphere.The Durbanville Wine Valley consists of nine wineries, each offering the finest in wines and some of the best fine dining restaurants and intimate country kitchens in the region.

Next to the Durbanville Racecourse lays the six-hectare Durbanville Nature Reserve with its critically endangered Swartland Shale Renosterveld and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. It became a nature reserve in 1966 after local residents found a rare plant, Aristea lugens, growing there. The reserve also manages a patch of critically important natural vegetation in the centre of the Durbanville Racecourse.

Horse racing is a hugely popular sport in South Africa, with regular racing taking place around the country. The Durbanville Race Course offers weekly horse racing and also hosts various other events.

Goodwood is about 10 kilometres from the Cape Town city centre and accessible from the N1, N7 and N2 highways.

The suburb was established in 1905 and named after Goodwood Racecourse in England as the founders intended to make it a racing centre. A course was actually constructed, but after only one meeting it was abandoned.

The first railway station was built in 1905, and today there are three stations within the municipal area: Goodwood, Vasco and Elsies River.

Today, the original 12-mile milestone still stands at the corner of Voortrekker and Durban Roads as a reminder of its historic past.

Attractions: N1 City Shopping Centre; Grand West Casino and Entertainment World; De Grendel Wine Farm

N1 City Mall, a friendly, convenient regional shopping centre is situated a convenient 12 minute drive from Cape Town's city centre. N1 City Mall provides free, secure parking in 2,573 parking bays. The shopping centre is comprised of 140 stores and restaurants and offers sheer browsing pleasure, entertainment, dining and fun for the whole family.

GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World offers a multitude of fun options for families, adults and children. With over 2 500 slots machines, GrandWest is the largest casino in South Africa. Those who prefer entertainment a little less risky could catch a movie at the Ster-Kinekor cinema or enjoy a meal at any of the many restaurants within the complex. Children and the young at heart can get physical, enjoying the indoor ice-skating or ten-pin bowling. GrandWest also hosts local and international music acts, shows and events at the GrandWest Arena.

The De Grendel wine farm was originally used for the breeding of Arab horses, as well as award-winning cattle and sheep. This established farm is now home to Holstein stud cattle, sheep, grain and vines. The cellar’s open plan tasting room spills onto the veranda where one can experience their wines against the picture-perfect backdrop of Table Mountain, guided by the expertise of in-house tasting presenters, seven days a week.

Despite its rural nature, this tranquil area at the foot of the Bottelary mountains is considered a suburb of Cape Town.

Look out for the cow crossings that bear testimony to the suburb’s rural setting. But visitors need not settle for a glass of milk when thirsty, because Kuils River is also the gateway to the wine routes – the Zevenwacht Wine Estate at the edge of the Stellenbosch wine route lies just above Kuils River.

Kuils River also features beautiful old church buildings and is home to the Alta du Toit School for mentally handicapped children.

Attractions: Zevenwacht Wine Estate, Zevenwacht Mall; Soneike Ipic Shopping Centre

Zevenwacht has viticultural roots which penetrate deep into the historic past of South Africa. While literally meaning Seven Expectations, the name Zevenwacht exemplifies the abundant delights which await visitors to the farm. The wines of Zevenwacht are distinguished by their classic style and finely crafted elegance. Winemaker Jacques Viljoen honours century-old wine-making traditions, yet is boldly innovative, welcoming the contribution that modern technology makes to the vinification of premier wines. Covering 200 hectares of the 450 hectare property, the vineyards are ideally situated for the growing of quality grapes. Zevenwacht is characterised by good quality, varied soils and the vineyards have been selectively planted with red and white noble varietals.

Zevenwacht Mall, situated on the corner of Stellenbosch Arterial and Van Riebeeck Road is a regional centre that offers a high quality one-stop shopping destination. With over 100 top-quality stores, including supermarkets, fashion boutiques, homeware stores, a food court boasting fast food outlets and restaurants to choose from, Zevenwacht Mall offers a world of choice. Physically, the centre presents a world class shopping environment with impeccable landscaping, abundant natural light and a fresh contemporary take on the surrounding Cape Winelands.

Ipic Shopping Centre Soneike represents the ultimate in design, retail, experience and lifestyle and is located on the corner of Bottelary and Amandel Road. It provides retail therapy capable of exhausting the most enthusiastic of shopper. Because of the central, convenient location and extended trading hours, it has become a stop-off for people on their way home from work. Ipic Shopping Centre Soneike boasts with a weekly village market, where our customers can come and experience the heartfelt passion in the warm, vibrant atmosphere of the courtyard

During a great storm in Table Bay in 1865, 19 ships were stranded. Amongst the many schooners was the Kehrwieder, the ship of captain Johann Heinrich Ferdinand Parow. After being stranded, captain Parow settled down in the Cape of Good Hope and soon realised the potential value of the Tyger Valley area north of Cape Town and that the area held great opportunities for cattle trade. Captain Parow soon moved inland to this area and started selling ground in the area which is today known as Parow.

A village management board was established for Parow in 1902. It was upgraded to a municipality in 1939 and the municipality was incorporated into the City of Tygerberg in 1996.

The Parow valley was included in the Cape Town municipal land area in 1944. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Parow was largely transforming into a commercial area, with many shopping centres opening around Voortrekker Road, one of the longest roads in Cape Town.

With the extreme political struggle of apartheid in the 1980s and the advent of democracy in the 1990s, Parow's popularity started to decline and many of its higher income population moved further north.

In 2005 Parow became the headquarters for the South African division of the International Alliance of Guardian Angels, the world's oldest and largest volunteer public safety patrol organisation.

Parow annualy hosts to the Tygerberg Wheels Show.

Attractions: Parow Centre; Parow Golf Club

The revamped Parow Centre, previously known as Sanlam Centre Parow, underwent a 3 year “Extreme Makeover” to the 30-year-old Regional Shopping Centre which now boasts 68 000 m². The centre is anchored by Checkers, Game, Foschini, Truworths, Mr Price and Woolworths. The centre also has a Health Emporium consisting of a gym, medical and dental centre and a slimming and beauty salon, and an Entertainment Area that includes a Ster-Kinekor Junction and various family restaurants. The centre has free undercover parking and easy access to Parow train station and the Main Road for commuters. The centre hosts a facility for an official taxi rank and bus terminal.

Golfing enthusiasts have access to the Parow golf course, originally founded in 1929. The golf club moved to its present position in 1976, when the local municipality had the course built upon a design by Ken Elkin. The golf course has abundant bird life, well maintained greens, and numerous palm, blue gum and minetokka trees. Facilities include the normal Pro-shop, halfway house, well-stocked bars and a large modern lounge with magnificent views of Table Mountain and the Tygerberg hills. It also overlooks the course and the dam in the centre of the course. The club is recognised as being the most affordable club in Cape Town as far as green fees, food and beverage and other amenities are concerned. While there is no driving range, the club does have a practice putting green, a chipping area and a practice bunker next to the 10th tee.

Table View, Bloubergstrand and Melkbosstrand are west coast suburbs of Cape Town.

Table View was named after its view of Table Mountain.

The name Bloubergstrand which literally means "blue mountain beach”, derived from Blaauwberg, a nearby mountain. Bloubergstrand is mainly residential and attracts a large numbers of visitors. The beach at Bloubergstrand is a popular location for a classic view of Table Mountain across the bay. The Bloubergstrand area falls within a Marine Nature Reserve and diving for delicacies such as Jasus lalandii (also called the Cape rock lobster or West Coast rock lobster) and "perlemoen" or abalone are not allowed. Seafood is popular including the local white mussels. In season Southern Right Whales, occasionally Killer Whales, Humpback Dolphins, Haviside's Dolphin and Cape Fur Seals are commonly seen in the bay.

Melkbosstrand is named after the species of Euphorbiaceae bushes which grow on the dunes and give off a milky latex like substance, it is commonly referred to simply as Melkbos. The town and its 7 km stretch of white sand beach is situated on the Atlantic coast with the Blouberg mountain to the east. Melkbosstrand owes much of its present day infrastructure to two significant government developments in the late seventies. The Koeberg nuclear power station, constructed with the help of the British and French some 6 km north of Melkbosstrand, necessitated the creation of high quality housing for the foreign contractors. The second, the government subsidised creation of Atlantis Diesel Engines (ADE), a joint venture between the British Perkins-Elmer and German Daimler AG. Although ADE was in the industrial park of Atlantis, some 50 km north of Cape Town, subsidized housing was established in Melkbosstrand to help attract and retain the many German, British, and even South African, engineers, managers, and technicians. These houses have long since been sold off to the public.

Attractions: The beach; Killarney Motor Racing Complex

Bloubergstrand has a long white sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean, with a few rocky outcrops where black mussels are found. The water is cold due to the cold Benguela current but the beach is popular with surfers. The bay on the west side of Bloubergstrand, known as 'Big Bay' has become a very popular kite surfing spot due to the constant trade winds bringing a 1-3m surf for a majority of the year. Big Bay Beach is also well known for the ease with which White Mussels (as species of the family Donax) can be extracted from the sand by a process locally known as 'jiving'.

The beach in Melkbosstrand is popular among surfers.

Killarney first saw action in 1947. In 1959/60 the track was upgraded and rebuilt to conform to the required FIA standard for the 1500 cc Formula One cars of the time. The design was entrusted to Edgar Hoal, a leading racing driver and roads engineer, who also supervised its construction. The Western Cape then had its first taste of international Formula One racing when the non-championship Cape Grand Prix was held at Killarney on 1 January 1960. Since then the complex has grown to include every facet of circuit motorsport. So much so that Killarney currently hosts all forms of main circuit and short circuit racing, as well as motocross, karting, stock cars and drag racing.

Enjoy a Championship Links style 18-hole golf course with its traditional style and an ocean breeze off the ocean. Atlantic Beach Links Golf Courses have been built with a serious commitment to the preservation of the indigenous fauna and flora. Compared to other golf courses in Cape Town, it is the combination of good golf in unsurpassed natural surroundings that make Atlantic Beach's Links Golf Course a unique golfing experience.

Eerste Rivier and the greater Blue Downs are is situated behind the Stellenbosch/Vlae berg Hills on the Strand/Van Riebeeck Road between Kuils River and Somerset West. It is about 45 km from Cape Town CBD and 8 km from Cape Town International Airport.

Eerste Rivier started off as many different farms and expanded vastly after the 1980s. It is a diverse town; many of its residents originally immigrated here from elsewhere. Among its beauty is the area called Penhill, hidden from the town and filled with nature.

Ravensmead, Belhar, Delft and Bellville South also form part of the Cape Flats.

Belhar is known for being the place where the Belhar Confession was formulated.

Delft was originally established in the 1980s as an integrated service land project for 'coloureds' and 'blacks'.

Bellville South is home to the University of the Western Cape and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.