BudgetTravel

13. Reincarnated rubbish

Every day, artisans from countries all across the continent gather at the city's largest outdoor market, in Greenmarket Square, to hawk handmade toys, sculptures, and boxes crafted from discarded materials. You might find a radio cobbled together from Fanta soda cans and bits of scrap wire, or a bag made of Amstel beer bottle caps. A couple blocks away, African crafts--masks, instruments, jewelry--are sold in the Pan-African Market, three stories of well-curated miniboutiques (76 Long St., between Longmarket and Shortmarket Sts., 011-27/21-426-4478).

A flower seller on Long Street (Dook)

14. Language gaps

People in Cape Town speak English, but it's their own version. One marvelous example: They call traffic lights "robots."

15. Downhill shopping

Kloof Street, starting near the intersection of De Lorentz Street, attracts the stylish set. Browse swank home interiors at Klooftique (87 Kloof St., 011-27/21-424-9458), mid-century modern furniture at Karizma (39 Kloof St., 011-27/21-424-0289), and locally designed men's streetwear at A Suitable Boy (43 Kloof St., 011-27/82-357-5097). Downhill, when Kloof changes to Long Street, the vibe becomes more bohemian, à la San Francisco's Haight Street, with skate shops, used bookstores, and one of the city's most popular bars, Jo'Burg (220 Long St., 011-27/21-422-0142).

16. Umpteen beaches

The Cape is one big peninsula, and every few miles, sandy bays peek out between rocky cliffs. The city's Atlantic coast, called the Cape Riviera, attracts all types: Surfers opt for Llandudno (pictured); the uninhibited go to clothing-optional Sandy Bay; beautiful people spend their lunch break strutting on the promenade at Camps Bay; and hardbodies congregate at Fourth Beach, one of four numerically named beaches in Clifton. Not that the point is to get wet; the water arrives by way of the South Pole.

17. Crocopaccio!

It is entirely possible to vist Cape Town and feel like you're nowhere near the bush--that is, until you enter Khaya Nyama, a restaurant that puts an haute spin on wildlife with unusual dishes like crocodile carpaccio ($5.50) and grilled zebra steak ($14). 267 Long St., 011-27/21-424-2917. #18 Helicoptering qualifies as a sport A fleet of pilots along the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront peddle helicopter tours of the Cape. A 20-minute flight generally runs about $100 and takes in the city, the Clifton beaches, and Table Mountain. Sport Helicopters, run by Ernest McDonald, was the first outfitter around. The hour-long ride is a splurge at $300, but if you ask nicely the pilot might take you for a detour over Robben Island, which helps put its isolation in even greater perspective. 011-27/21-419-5907, sporthelicopters.co.za.

19. A head trip

Like the nature-loving natives of San Francisco--it's pretty much impossible not to compare Cape Town to San Francisco, by the way--people in Cape Town don't take their dramatic geography for granted. The local tourism website has information about the many trails within city limits. Among the best: the 90-minute hike up Lion's Head. It's hard going, but the 360-degree views of the city and the Atlantic at the top make the haul worth it. Tourismcapetown.co.za.

20. Jewelry makers on house call

Terri van Schaik at Pure Africa works with local artisans to make traditional jewelry with a modern spin--and a conscience: A quarter of the company's profit is reinvested in the artisans' often impoverished communities. Pure Africa's pieces are sold at a number of local gift shops, but Terri will also come to you, bringing her latest line to hotels and inns around town. 011-27/82-370-9694, pureafrica.co.za.

21. A road best driven in reverse

A six-mile succession of hairy switchbacks cut into cliffs above the Atlantic, Chapman's Peak Drive gives the Pacific Coast Highway a run for its money. Rock slides closed the road from 2000 until last year; now, elaborate catch fences and concrete overhangs deflect stray boulders. The road runs from Hout Bay, southwest of the city center, to Noordhoek, and you can drive it either direction, or go both ways (chapmanspeakdrive.co.za, $3 toll). The reverse route from Noordhoek to Hout Bay is best for two reasons: better views from the left side of the road (South Africans follow British traffic rules), and the opportunity to finish in Hout Bay, home of the stately Chapman's Peak Hotel. On a balcony overlooking a horseshoe beach, reward yourself with a cold Lion beer on draft, and calamari seared and served in the same cast-iron pan (Chapman's Peak Dr., Hout Bay, 011-27/21-790-1036, calamari $9).

22. A taste of townships

Residents of local townships Langa, Nyanga, and Guguletu lead four-hour tours that provide an up-close look at South Africa's massive underclass. Amid the overpopulated, tin-roofed, dirt-floored shacks are informal bars known as shebeens, where women stir pots of homemade grain beer that they serve while it's still steaming hot. Daring visitors are invited to pass around a communal metal bucket and sample the beer. Thuthuka Tours, 011-27/21-433-2429, half-day tour $38.

23. Alternative medicine

Every township has a sangoma, or traditional healer, who treats ailments through a variety of herbs, powders, tinctures, and animal skins. Any township tour (see #22) will include a stop at his hut, typically a dim shack that's adorned with skins, critter skulls, and desiccated snakes hanging from the ceiling like the world's creepiest party streamers. Upon request, he'll even treat tourists' ills.

24. Swimming with sharks

Great white sharks congregate in large numbers in nearby waters, which might help to explain how the odd sport of shark diving started here. The idea is pretty simple: You're inside a cage, surrounded by fish entrails and bloody water; the sharks take the bait and gnash at your cage. It's safe--as long as you keep your hands inside--but terrifying. The capital of shark diving is two hours east of Cape Town in Gansbaai, a town that's also known as Shark Alley. White Shark Diving runs full-day trips that keep you underwater for a short but ample 15 minutes, and they'll drive you back and forth from Cape Town. 011-27/21-532-0470, white-shark-diving.com, $182, includes breakfast and lunch.

25. A grape of the Cape

Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes, originated in South Africa. The best place to sample it is Stellenbosch, a 45-minute drive from Cape Town, where more than 100 vineyards blanket the countryside. Stellenbosch is South Africa's second-oldest town, and its beautiful whitewashed Cape Dutch homes are exactly as they've been for the last 300 years. Wine Enthusiast bestowed 89 points on the 1999 Pinotage from Warwick Estate, a Spanish-style hacienda surrounded by clementine groves (pictured). The winery offers free tastings of its Pinotage, along with its bordeaux, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc. On R44, west of Stellenbosch, 011-27/21-884-4410, warwickwine.co.za.