The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: February twenty-third, captivated by Cape Town.

In 1580, the English navigator, Sir Frances Drake, sailed around the world. As his ship rounded Africa's southern tip, he passed a spit of low mountains that loomed claw-like over the Atlantic. "This Cape is a most stately thing," Drake wrote in the ship's log, "The fairest we saw in the whole circumference of the earth." Seventy-five years later, sailors from the Dutch East India Company waded ashore on a sandy beach a few miles north of the rocky headland, which by then was known as the Cape of Good Hope. The settlement they founded eventually became Cape Town, capital of South Africa.

A decade after South Africa's long night of apartheid ended, Cape Town has become a trendy, relatively inexpensive destination. The city and its dramatic setting still rank among the earth's most beautiful places. In addition to fascinating historical sites, excellent museums, superior hotels and restaurants, and an exciting cultural scene, Cape Town has sandy beaches, rocky coastline, lush gardens, and mountain wilderness.

Getting familiar with Cape Town requires at least a week, but to get a quick lay of the land, hike, bike or take the cable car to the top of nearby Table Mountain. To the east, broad vineyards beckon. To the west, Atlantic swells roll across long sand beaches. South Africa's people are also a major attraction. After so many years of violent racism, there's a cautious though palpable spirit of reconciliation and rejuvenation.

It's once again a fine time for a visit to the Cape of Good Hope.

FMI South African Tourism Board 800-822-5368; South African Airways 800-722-9675 or www.southafrica.net

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