Robben Island

Robben Island lies in Table Bay about 7 km off the coast of Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. For almost four centuries it served as a place of banishment, isolation and confinement. Dutch and British authorities used it to hold political prisoners and exiles, and from the early 19th century it housed a leper colony and a hospital for the mentally ill. During the Second World War it was fortified as a military base, and from the early 1960s until the early 1990s it was a maximum-security prison for political prisoners opposed to apartheid. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in custody here, and other prisoners included Walter Sisulu, Robert Sobukwe and Govan Mbeki. Visitors reach the island by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. The standard tour, run by the Robben Island Museum, combines a bus circuit of the island, with stops at the lime quarry where prisoners worked, the Robert Sobukwe house and the Moturu Kramat, with a guided walk through the maximum-security prison led by a former political prisoner. Inside, the communal cells, the single cell block where Mandela was held, and the courtyard where he buried a manuscript are the main points of interest. The interpretation is thematic and testimony-led, so the guides' first-hand experiences form the core of the visit. The island's architecture is a layered mix of colonial-era churches, lighthouse, military bunkers and the stark modern prison blocks. After the prison closed in 1996 the site became a museum, and conservation work has concentrated on the prison buildings, the quarry and the village. It remains a living community for museum staff. The island is also an important seabird and wildlife area, with African penguins, seals and a variety of birds visible along the route. Weather affects the ferry and tours are cancelled in strong winds, so flexibility is advisable.