It is located at the foot of Table Mountain in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, and is the wettest suburb in South Africa due to its high winter rainfall. It is home to a number of schools, including the oldest school in the country, South African College Schools (SACS) Junior and High Schools as well as Groote Schuur High School and Sans Souci Girls' High School. The neighborhood is also the location of a number of notable parks such as Newlands Forest and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.