Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) until 1996, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is preserved as a memorial to those (such as Nelson Mandela) who spent many years here. Imprisoned. You can only go here on a tour, which lasts about four hours, including the ferry ride, departing from the Nelson Mandela Gateway on the waterfront near the clock tower. Online booking well in advance is highly recommended as tours can book up.
Standard tours, with set departure and return times, include a walk through the old prison (with a mandatory peek into Mandela’s cell), plus a 45-minute bus ride around the island with commentary at various points. have been done, such as the limestone quarry where Mandela and many others toiled, the small house where Pan-Africanist Congress leader Robert Sobukwe was held in solitary confinement for six years, and the church on the island It was used as a leper colony during the period of . There is also a stop at Alpha 7 Cafe for a spectacular view of the mainland and Table Mountain.
Even if you don’t plan a visit to the island, it’s worth dropping by the free museum on the Nelson Mandela Gateway, with its focus on the struggle for equality. The waterfront’s Jetty 1 is also preserved as a small museum, which was the departure point for Robben Island when it was a prison.