Today, TIME reveals the annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, which highlights 100 extraordinary destinations to visit and stay.
To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places—including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks, and more—from its international network of correspondents and contributors, as well as via an application process, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.
Amura by Ángel León, the immersive marine dining experience located at Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, has been featured as one of the exciting new places to visit on the 2026 list.
A STORY WRITTEN BY THE SEA
Opened in December 2025, Amura marks the first restaurant outside of Spain by internationally acclaimed chef Ángel León, widely known as the “Chef of the Sea,” whose Andalusian restaurants – Aponiente (three Michelin Stars) and Alevante (two Michelin Stars) – have earned global recognition for pioneering marine cuisine. Inspired by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the rich biodiversity of the Cape coastline, Amura offers a deeply immersive dining experience shaped by the rhythms of the sea. Blending Mediterranean techniques with South Af rican ingredients, the restaurant celebrates overlooked marine species, seasonal coastal produce and indigenous flavours, telling a story of two seafaring cultures, Andalusia and the Cape, connected by ancient tides and a shared culinary heritage.
“At Amura we try to tell a different story about the sea; that is rooted in nature, time and respect for the ocean. To see this vision recognised by TIME among the world’s greatest places is both humbling and deeply exciting for our entire team,” says Carlos León, Business Manager of Amura and brother of Chef Ángel León.
A NEW CULINARY CHAPTER AT MOUNT NELSON
Set within the storied halls of Mount Nelson, one of the city’s most iconic luxury hotels, Amura forms part of the property’s evolving culinary offering, bringing a new global dining destination to the heart of the Cape.
“It is an incredible honour for both Amura and Mount Nelson to be recognised by TIME in this year’s list of the World’s Greatest Places,” says Patrick Fisher, General Manager of Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town. “From the beginning, Amura was envisioned as a restaurant that would bring together Chef Ángel León’s pioneering marine cuisine with the remarkable ingredients and coastal heritage of the Cape. To see this vision acknowledged on a global stage is a proud moment for us all.”
AS WRITTEN BY TIME
By turning mussels into blood sausage, reimagining tuna as a kind of fish jamón, and foraging cereals from the ocean floor, Ángel León helped redefine the possibilities of seafood- driven cuisine, establishing himself as one of the most influential names in contemporary gastronomy. The Andalusian chef—who went on to create a three-Michelin-star temple to the sea in Puerto de Santa María—has now crossed to the South Atlantic for his first project outside Spain. Set inside Cape Town’s storied Mount Nelson Hotel and designed to evoke South Africa’s kelp forests, Amura presents a new challenge for León, long known as El Chef del Mar. Here, a new continent becomes his canvas. Local kingklip is served fresh with a Spanish pilpil enriched with plankton; abalone, deeply tied to South Africa’s coast, is paired with an emulsion of Gordal olives; and shrimp toast, inflected with Durban’s curry-laden maritime heritage, has struck a chord with local diners. León also grounds the menu in personal history, paying homage to his family’s maritime roots with Cádiz-style squid-ink croquettes served with aioli.
Read more here: time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places/2026/amura
See the full list here: time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places/2026