Image courtesy of G Travels

Cape Town is a city with a beguiling mix of culture, language, architecture and an abundance of natural beauty which has drawn its fair share of celebrities, world leaders and great thinkers over the years.

The city has come a long way from its roots as a way-station for ships travelling to the Dutch East Indies, yet still remains the “pretty and singular town” once described in 1836 by a 27 year old geologist who would later become one of the world’s most important natural scientists, Charles Darwin.

A little-known aspect of Charles Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle is the ship’s stopover in Cape Town. Darwin visited the Cape between May 31 and June 18, 1836 on a homeward voyage from South America to England. His observations on the Beagle’s five-year journey contributed towards the ideas that would eventually be published in 1859 in The Origin of the Species.

He described Cape Town as “a great inn, on the great highway to the east” in a letter to his sister Catherine during his visit and recorded sightings of animals like elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, hippopotamus and even the now extinct kwagga, all within the boundaries of the Cape.

A Darwin Trail Map has been meticulously researched and documented by the Africa Genome Education Institute and published by A&C Maps. It chronicles Darwin’s exploration of the Cape, including Simon’s Town, Wynberg, Claremont, Observatory, Cape Town, Sea Point, Paarl, Franschhoek, and Sir Lowry’s Pass as well as suggestions of attractions that Darwin might visit if he were travelling today.

Tourists and locals alike can visit a Cape Town Tourism Visitor Information Centre to collect a copy of The Darwin Trail map which retraces the steps of this great scientist and his journey in the Cape.

The Taj Cape Town provides luxury accommodation in Cape Town within walking distance of many Cape Town museums and landmarks.