Best cozy town destinations in Africa
Best cozy town destinations in Africa
Quiet mountain valleys and small historic coastal settlements in Africa
North African mountain towns painted in distinctive colours have become some of the region's most distinctive small towns, while southern African wine-country towns offer a completely different, vineyard-framed version of small-town charm further south.
The destinations on this list range from mountain towns built around centuries-old architecture and a single distinctive character to wine-region towns where the appeal is as much the surrounding landscape as the town itself. Both reward simply wandering on foot.
Visiting early in the day tends to mean far better light and considerably fewer crowds at the most popular towns, before day-trip groups arrive from nearby cities. Local guesthouses often double as informal information points. Wearing comfortable walking shoes also matters considerably given the steep, narrow streets involved.
Lists by region
Town in South Africa
Clarens
Art, Adventure and Mountain Calm
A dinosaur egg found near Clarens is about 190 million years old, much older than the village itself. The town was founded in 1912 and named for the Swiss town where Paul Kruger spent his last days. Golden Gate Highlands National Park is 17 kilometres away. Art galleries surround the town square.
Town in Namibia
Swakopmund
Coastal charm meets desert horizons
Locals here keep the German habit of afternoon coffee and cake. Captain Curt von François founded the town in 1892 as a harbour for a German colony. The Woermannhaus, built in 1906, has a tower and is now a library. Fog from the cold Benguela Current often rolls in off the sea.
Town in South Africa
Hermanus
Whale Watching and Coastal Wonders
Walker Bay lies about 115 kilometres southeast of Cape Town. Southern right whales can be seen from the cliffs from June until early December. A town crier called the whale crier blows a kelp horn to announce where they are. The town never got a railway line so it would stay a small fishing village.
Town in Tunisia
Sidi Bou Said
White-blue gem overlooking Mediterranean Sea
Late afternoon is a good time for mint tea with pine nuts at Café des Nattes. The village is about 20 kilometres northeast of Tunis. The TGM train from the city is the main way to reach it. Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger helped make the blue and white look popular in the 1920s.
Town in South Africa
Franschhoek
Wine, Mountains and Gourmet Living
Double-decker trams roll between wine estates past rows of vines. French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution settled the valley in 1688. The name means French Corner in Afrikaans. Many farms still have their original Cape Dutch farmhouses. The village is about 75 kilometres from Cape Town, a 45 minute drive.
City in Morocco
Chefchaouen
Blue Medina, Mountain Views, Calm Vibes
Outa el-Hammam square is the heart of the old medina. The kasbah, the Great Mosque and a caravanserai, an old inn for traders, line its edges. Ali ibn Rashid founded the town in 1471 to defend against Portuguese attacks. Narrow lanes are painted blue, though the reason is still debated.
City in Morocco
Essaouira
Atlantic Breeze, Blue Medina, Bohemian Vibe
Sultan Mohammed III rebuilt the town in the mid-1700s with French engineer Théodore Cornut. The Portuguese had built a fortress here in 1506 and called it Mogador. UNESCO listed the medina in 2001. The Gnaoua music festival fills the streets for four days, usually in late June.
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