Cape Town

• Summer holidays peak · Jan 1 – Jan 31 · holiday

  Domestic and international peak - beaches packed, restaurants book out, but the weather is at its best.

• Kaapse Klopse (Minstrel Carnival) · Jan 1-7 · festival

  Colourful satin-suited minstrel troupes parade through the city on January 2 - a uniquely Cape tradition.

• Wildfire risk · Jan 22 – Jan 25 · holiday

  Table Mountain fire risk peaks in dry summer heat - trails occasionally close, smoke sometimes hangs over the city.

• Ramadan · Feb 12 – Feb 18 · religious

  The month of daytime fasting - quieter daylight hours, then streets and tables come alive after sunset for iftar.

• Cape Town Cycle Tour · Mar 5-11 · sport

  The world's biggest timed cycle race - the peninsula closed to traffic and lined with supporters for a day.

• Eid al-Fitr · Mar 19-25 · religious

  The joyful close of Ramadan - new clothes, feasting and visiting; one of the warmest, busiest weeks of the year.

• Cape Town International Jazz Festival · Mar 26-Apr 1 · festival

  Two-day festival with international and local acts - the city centre alive after dark.

• Easter · Mar 26 – Mar 8 · religious

  Holy Week into Easter - processions and quiet reflection give way to a celebratory weekend.

• Two Oceans Marathon · Apr 2 – Apr 15 · sport

  The Easter-weekend 56km ultra - often called the world's most beautiful marathon.

• AfrikaBurn (nearby) · Apr 23-29 · festival

  Burning Man's South African cousin out in the Tankwa Karoo - Cape Town empties of a particular crowd for a week.

• Eid al-Adha · May 21 – Jun 3 · religious

  The festival of sacrifice - a major public holiday of communal prayers and shared feasts.

• Spring wildflowers · Aug 13 – Aug 16 · festival

  Wildflower season on the West Coast and Namaqualand - day-trips out of Cape Town worth planning around.

• Heritage Day · Sep 17 – Sep 30 · holiday

  Also called National Braai Day - beach braais everywhere, the city's most relaxed public holiday.

• Hermanus Whale Festival · Oct 1-7 · festival

  Southern right whales calve in Walker Bay; the small coast town two hours away celebrates with a festival.

• Cape Doctor (south-easter) · Nov 19 – Nov 16 · holiday

  A strong, persistent south-easterly blows for days - beautiful air, brutal hair, table cloth over the mountain.

a reason to go mixed worth knowing about