Robben Island

Robben Island, a low island in Table Bay off Cape Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum; it was the prison where Nelson Mandela and many other opponents of apartheid were held for decades. Now a museum, it is reached by ferry, and its tours are often led by former political prisoners themselves, who guide visitors through the bleak cell blocks, the limestone quarry and the small cell where Mandela spent eighteen years.

History

Bartolomeu Dias reached the island at the entrance to Table Bay in 1488, and Portuguese, then English and Dutch sailors used it as a supply station; in 1654 the settlers of the Dutch Cape Colony put their sheep there, safe from wild animals, and gathered seal skins and oil. The Dutch were the first to use it as a prison, its first prisoner probably Autshumato in the mid-17th century, and from the end of that century it held chiefly political prisoners; the Dutch also held leaders from their other colonies there, among them Massavana and Koesaaij, survivors of the Malagasy slave revolt on the ship Meermin; in 1806 the Scottish whaler John Murray opened a whaling station at what became Murray's Bay, and after the failed attack on Grahamstown in 1819 the Xhosa leader Makanda Nxele was sentenced to life on the island and later drowned on the shore of Table Bay. In the late 20th century it held political prisoners who opposed apartheid, among them Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years in prison, and it remained a prison until 1996 (Wikipedia, Robben Island).

What you'll find

• Mandela's cell - the small cell where he was held for eighteen years.
• The prison tour - the cell blocks, often led by former prisoners.
• The limestone quarry - where prisoners were forced to labour.
• The ferry and views - the crossing and the view back to Table Mountain.

When to go

October to April for the calmest seas, as the ferry crossing can be rough and is often cancelled in bad weather, so book ahead and have a flexible day in case. Tours run daily, weather permitting, and sell out, so book online in advance.

Before you go

The ferry is frequently cancelled in rough weather, so book ahead and keep a spare day; tours sell out, so reserve online. The tours follow a fixed schedule and can feel rushed.

Nearby

The V&A Waterfront is the departure point; Table Mountain and the Cape Town sights are close.