CAPE

CAPE TOWN
Atlantic Seaboard
Camps Bay, Atlantic Seaboard
The Atlantic Seaboard includes the residential suburbs of Mouille Point, Green Point, Sea Point, Fresnaye, Bantry Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay, Bakoven, Llandudno and Hout Bay - all of which offer villas, guest houses and self-catering units with easy access to some of the world’s finest beaches, including the ‘there to be seen’ sands of Clifton, the unspoilt boulders of Llandudno and the glorious stretches of sand of Camps Bay.

BLAAUWBERG
The Blaauwberg Coast is best known for its spectacular views of across Table Bay and the region stretches from Milnerton in the south to Mamre in the north and offers vast stretches of sandy white beaches on the northern side of the Atlantic Coast.
Towns in Blaauwberg include Atlantic Beach Estate, Bloubergstrand, Bloubergrant, Century City, Melkbosstrand, Milnerton,
Sunset Beach, Table View, West Beach and Woodbridge Island. Blaauwberg is close to the City of Cape Town, beautiful beaches, restaurants and entertainment are plentiful, hotels, guest houses and other accommodation options are geared for tourism making the Blaauwberg area the ideal base for international and local tourists.

CAPE FLATS
Many visitors’ first impression of the mother city is along the N2, lined with tin and wood shacks that smack of poverty and little access to facilities and according to the city’s mayor, it will take 30 years to deal with the upgrading of informal settlements.
A visit through the townships of Langa, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Cross Roads, Mitchell’s Plain and Manenberg is one of the most revealing and enriching things you can do whilst in Cape Town – for better or worse this area is considered the birthplace of Cape Town’s soul and art, crafts, music and entrepreneurship abound in a collective show of making the best of a bad situation.

CAPE HELDERBERG
The Helderberg basin or the Cape Helderberg is one of the most visually dramatic areas in the Cape, with the Hottentots Holland and Helderberg Mountain ranges creating a powerful backdrop against which the valley descends into vineyards and on to a coastline swept with warm waters and white, sandy beaches.

CHAPMANS PEAK
Chapman’s Peak, at the heart of Chapman’s Peak Drive, connecting Hout Bay with Noordhoek along one of the most dramatic marine routes in the world hugs the coast for nine kilometres.

CONSTANTIA VALLEY
The Constantia Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Cape, with an abundant array of forests, hills, stately historical homes and vineyards - a mix of old and new that lies nestled in the shadow of the Constantia Mountain, just outside the city centre.

CAPE TOWN NORTHERN SUBURBS
The northern suburbs are officially part of the City of Tygerberg, formed from the union of the municipalities of Bellville, Durbanville, Goodwood and Parow. These suburbs have experienced an enormous property growth in recent years, not least because of their access to Cape Town International Airport, Grand West Casino and a number of wine routes.

FALSE BAY
False Bay, aptly named because early navigators mistook Hangklip for Cape Point, is the largest true bay in South Africa and one of the great bays of the world. It is no surprise to learn that the distance across False Bay (33 kilometres from Rooiels to Miller’s Point) remains a rather daunting prospect for even the most primed marathon swimmers - it has eluded almost 90% of those who have tried - and has been attempted 20 times with only three successes.

HOUT BAY
Hout Bay was formerly a fishing village and has managed to maintain its unique combination of fishing harbour and country atmosphere, despite development. Its long, sandy beach faces a bay framed by mountains and is quite simply exceptionally beautiful.

SOUTHERN SUBURBS
The group of suburbs lying south east of the City Bowl and Table Mountain in Cape Town are collectively known as the ‘southern suburbs’. Observatory, Mowbray, Rosebank, Rondebosch, Pinelands, Claremont, Kenilworth, Newlands, Bishopscourt, and Wynberg are also more established and sought after than their northern counterparts; although property right at the coast on the Atlantic Seaboard is still amongst the most exclusive in Cape Town.

SIMON’S TOWN
This quaint town is the residence of the South African navy and steeped in nautical history - its cobbled streets alive with restored cottages and homes, whilst the main road is an assortment of shops, coffee shops and restaurants.

BOULDERS BEACH
Boulders Beach is home to an African penguin colony and is a wonderful swimming beach, despite the entrance fee and the need to juggle the tides. Swimming with penguins in this calm bay never ceases to delight.

SEAFORTH BEACH
This beach is protected from the wind and offers safe swimming and snorkelling. The village is close to Cape Point Nature Reserve - home to 1100 indigenous plant species, some of which occur nowhere else on earth, and one of the highest sea cliffs in the world at 249m above sea level.

CAPE WINELANDS
The rich, fertile soils along the Breede River Valley and especially the areas of Somerset West, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek have become world famous for their whites, reds, sherries, ports and brandies.

FRANSCHHOEK
Franschhoek lies in one of the most beautiful wine valleys in the world, just 45 minutes’ from Cape Town and is the French corner of the Cape. Eight of the top 100 restaurants in the country are found in Franschoek, there are almost 30 wine cellars and over 28 restaurants from which to choose for your gastronomic experience.

GROOT DRAKENSTEIN
The Groot Drakenstein lies in a valley in the shadow of the mountains with the same name, on the back side of the Hottentots Holland Mountains. Some great historic Cape Dutch homesteads lie in this valley, including wine estates like Boschendal,

KLAPMUTS
Klapmuts is not very well known amongst tourists but the area offers the chance to stay on large farms and small holdings with beautiful views of the mountains. Despite being just 45 minutes away from Cape Town one feels free of the city here.

PAARL
The town of Paarl has a unique character, not least because vineyards still grow in between residential neighbourhoods maintaining a country feel to a town virtually the size of a small city, but also because it is here that the struggle to gain recognition for Afrikaans as a written language was achieved. Today the Afrikaans Language Museum bears testament to this accomplishment and there is a monument to this unique language on the slopes of Paarl Mountain.

PNIEL
The town of Pniel, nestled at the foot of Simonsberg, lies just outside Stellenbosch. Not only does the little village lie surrounded by vineyards and mountains in one of the most wonderful spots in the Cape, but its history is very interesting.

SIMONDIUM
The little hamlet of Simondium lies at the upper point of a triangle on the R45. Simondium has fast earned a reputation of its own, particularly with regard to cheese.

STELLENBOSCH
The name ‘Stellenbosch’ is almost synonymous with the wine industry. Not only does it have the oldest wine route in the country, and arguably the most famous, but the town has one of the most modern experimental wineries in the world, and the only viticultural and oenological department in the country at its university.

TULBAGH
The historical village of Tulbach nestles in amongst the Winterhoek, Witzenberg and Obiqua Mountains, which surround it on three sides and provide one of the most beautiful settings in the Cape.

WELLINGTON
Wellington once served as the last outpost of civilisation in the Cape before entering unfamiliar territory and was known as Limiet Vallei (frontier valley) and Val du Charron or Wagenmakersvallei (valley of the wagon maker) as it was here that wagons could receive attention before the start of a long and difficult journey.

THE CEDERBERG
The Cederberg is named after the endangered Clanwilliam Cedar tree, endemic to the area. The expliotation of cedar wood, rooibos tea, buchu and rockwood bark came to a halt in 1973 after the cedar was brought to the edge of extinction by constant felling to meet the growing demand for construction wood. The Ceder tree is now protected by a conservation project.

BIEDOUW VALLEY
The Biedouw Valley lies beneath the Biedouw Mountains in the north and the Tra-Tra Mountains in the south. The spectacular Biedouw Valley is scattered with a vast array of spring flowers after the rains.

CITRUSDAL
Citrusdal lies beneath the Koue Bokkeveld and Swartberg Mountains. This pretty town is known for its superior citrus fruits although local farmers also grow rooibos tea and vegetables, produce honey and keep cattle and sheep, and the Goue Vallei wines are produced from locally grown grapes.

CLANWILLIAM
The little hamlet of Clanwilliam lies at the foot of the Cederberg Mountain range and is one of the ten oldest towns in South Africa.

WUPPERTAL
Wuppertal lies hidden deep in the Cedarberg Mountains and consists of a series of three terraces of neatly thatched cottages.

EASTERN CAPE
The second largest of South Africa’s nine provinces, the diverse Eastern Cape is situated between the Western Cape and
KwaZulu-Natal and is bordered by the Orange River and Drakensberg Mountains.

GREATER ADDO
Greater Addo is largely dominated by the Addo Elephant Park, the boundaries of which now extend right from the edge of Darlington Dam in the north to Colchester at the coast, incorporating the beautiful Sundays River Valley. The region of Greater Addo is a beautiful area in the Eastern Cape and remains unspoilt despite the thousands of visitors to the park.

ALIWAL NORTH
Aliwal North lies on a strategic ford on the Orange River which was used by the Bushmen and the Voortrekkers. This was upgraded with a pontoon in 1872. Aliwal North developed simultaneously as a health resort and transport centre with the railway from East London reaching the town in 1885.

AMATOLA
Nestling in their shadow in the valleys are a cluster of villages, a mission station, churches and towns that line the valleys of an area not only rich in history but in incredible scenery too. This is Frontier Country and many of the settlements, such as Cathcart, Fort Beaufort and Adelaide began as military outposts, whilst towns like Stutterheim served as a settlement for disbanded soldiers of the British German Legion, hence the name. Other towns like Alice and the beautiful Hogsback have more peaceful origins with first citizens being farmers.

BATHURST
The little hamlet of Bathurst lays claims to the biggest pineapple on the planet! Standing 16.7 metres tall, this gigantic structure is a tribute to the agricultural success of the fruit.

BAVIAANSKLOOF
The area of Baviaanskloof includes the Karoo towns of Willowmore and Steytlerville as well as a number of small stock farms, and the little town of Patensie lies at the start of the gorge.

EAST LONDON
East London is all about its long, white stretches of sandy beach that appeal to surfers, swimmers and sun worshippers alike. The beaches here are some of the finest in the world and a few, like Nahoon Reef, are a surfer’s paradise and host to international surfing competitions. East London’s easy access to other areas like the Wild Coast, and inland to the Amatola Mountains, also makes it a popular destination. Known as the Buffalo City, East London lies on the Buffalo River, its people are refreshingly friendly and its weather generally pleasant throughout the year.

FRONTIER COUNTRY REGION
Frontier Country is a vibrant mix of all the best that Africa has to offer. One of the premier tourist routes in the Eastern Cape, it has a turbulent past, with more forts than the rest of the country combined.

THE GAMTOOS VALLEY REGION
Lying adjacent to the Garden route, just over an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth, the Gamtoos Valley is home to the three little villages of Hankey, Loerie and Patensie, and is a vibrant mix of citrus, potato and tobacco farming that forms a collage of cultivated fields and orchards.

GRAAFF REINET
Graaff-Reinet is in the heart of the Karoo Heartland with its flat, sandy plains and incredibly hot summers. It is encircled by the Camdeboo Park, which breaks the sandy monotony with its rich greenness and mountains.

HAGA HAGA
Haga Haga is the epitome of the Wild Coast, just 75 kilometres from East London. This part of the world is magical with lush green hills intermingled with forested and deeply carved river valleys that roll down breathtakingly precipitous cliffs onto long, white beaches and secluded bays. Haga Haga nestles at the mouth of the river of the same name - perfect for swimming, sailing and canoeing, and the various rock pools and the beach make for wonderful days spent collecting shells and splashing in the shallows.

JEFFREYS BAY
Surfers from all over the world flock to catch the legendary waves in this paradise of sunshine, aloes, dolphins, shells, perfect points & classic reefs. Surfers & others have turned Jeffreys Bay into a year round fun place to be, creating a thriving local craft industry besides the surf shops on just about every corner.

JIKELEZA ROUTE
“Jikeleza” in the local isiXhosa language means to “wander” or “meander” and that is exactly what visitors do in this pretty area.

KAREEDOUW
Kareedouw is a pretty little rural town, nestled up against the Suuranys Mountains. Most of its roads are still dirt, that provide easy access to the Suurveld, Kouga and Baviaanskloof Wilderness area as well as canoe trips along the Kouga River.

KAROO HEARTLAND
The Karoo Heartland’s rugged and intense beauty is dominated by vast, flat plains, rocky mountains, and the biggest assortment of succulents in the world. Today the Karoo Heartland has been repackaged as an enviro-region that charms with its unusual and unpretentious characters, eccentricities and diversity of activities. This beautiful area, subject to red dust, thorny acacias, stunted vegetation, aloes, windmills, sheep and the odd Angora goat, boasts some of the quaintest towns in the country, authentic farmstays, the dramatic valley of Desolation, the Owl House and the Camdeboo National Park.

NIEU-BETHESDA
Nieu-Bethesda lies in a narrow valley, has no street lights and is only about 1.6 km wide and 3.2km long and home to less than a thousand people. It is in essence completely isolated, with only two roads in and out of the village. Established in 1875 and named by the preacher Andrew Murray, Nieu-Bethesda was eclipsed by larger towns during the 1930s and 40s and became quite impoverished.

NORTHERN UKHAHLAMBA (BARKLY EAST)
Ukhahlamba, the Xhosa word meaning ‘barrier of spears’, refers to the majestic portion of the Drakensberg that dominates the northern section of the Eastern Cape, forming a border with the Free State.

PORT ELIZABETH - NELSON MANDELA BAY
Nelson Mandela Bay bears the rich legacy of an area which saw the first meetings of Khoisan, British, Dutch, German and Xhosa people. As the landing place of the 1820 Settlers, it boasts some of the finest architectural attractions in South Africa. The Bay offers numerous historical attractions in the form of museums and other places of interest, which are guaranteed to provide a journey of discovery through its diverse history and culture.

Port Elizabeth, known as the “Friendly City” is located on the south-eastern coast of South Africa,
763 km east of Cape Town. Algoa Bay is regarded as one of the best sailing venues in the world, while scuba diving is of world class quality with beautiful reefs, shipwrecks, fish and colourful coral species.

RHODES
From Barkly East one reaches Rhodes along a narrow and winding gravel road. Rhodes is a remote village, and, because of this inaccessibility, has benefited by remaining one of the most obscure and least frequented little towns in the country. It has, nonetheless, been ‘discovered’ by property seeking executives, resulting in the typical village-style weekend and holiday homes that remain shut up for most of the week.

SUNSHINE COAST
As a destination the Sunshine Coast has had to do little to attract visitors. Its obviously glorious weather, the seaside-resorts of Kenton-on-Sea and Port Alfred - considered the heart of this stretch of coastline - St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis, Jeffreys Bay and their access to warm waters, water sports, eco-walks, friendly locals, sheltered coves, rock pools and nature reserves, makes its attraction blatantly obvious. With this malaria-free ‘Big Five’ area and its game farms, and easy access to the Great Fish River, the Wild Coast and the Addo Elephant Park, it is easy to understand why so many Capetonians head this way during their rather wet winters, and the rest of the country, as well as visitors to the Eastern Cape, make this their playground.

UMTATA / MTHATHA, WILD COAST
Umtata is in the heart of the Nelson Mandela Route, established to give structure to the area for visitors who want to explore his history. The route starts in King Williams Town, where one can visit the grave of Steve Biko - leader of the Black Consciousness movement. The route then moves through Bisho along the N2 to Umtata and the Nelson Mandela Museum, opened 10 years to the day after he was released from prison.

WILD COAST
The Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape that extends between the Mtamvuna River in the north and the Great Kei River to the south
is an untamed wilderness.

GARDEN ROUTE & KLEIN KAROO

ALBERTINIA
The peaceful little town of Albertinia, named after the Reverend JR Albertyn, lies at the foot of the Langeberg Mountain range and known as the home of the Aloe.

BRENTON ON SEA
Brenton on Sea lies on the other side of Knysna’s Western Head, on the shores of the Indian Ocean in a quiet, lazy bay. Residents describe Brenton on Sea’s beauty as the coast that Knysna does not have. In fact Knysna lies on a lagoon and the rough seas can only be heard at the Knysna Heads.

DANA BAY
Dana Bay is a conservancy, set in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom and is home to fine examples of coastal and limestone varieties of fynbos which are under threat due to global warming. The limestone fynbos here boasts the largest area of this endemic species in the entire Cape floristic region.

EERSTERIVIER
Eersterivier, on the Garden Route is a remote and beautiful part of the world, despite being only an hour’s drive from Plettenberg Bay. This town is easily confused with the other Eersterivier, which lies between Cape Town and the Cape Winelands. This little holiday village lies virtually unknown on the rocky coastline of the Tsitsikamma on the country’s famous Garden Route.

GARDEN ROUTE
The Garden Route is a paradise for eco-lovers, bird watchers and solitude seekers and one of the most beautiful parts of the Western Cape. It lies sandwiched between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean. The Garden Route is a popular holiday destination during summer and a tranquil hideaway during the winter months - both seasons are equally beautiful and attractive due to the largely Mediterranean climate.

GEORGE
George lies in a fertile, rich valley, surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountains, forests, rivers and prosperous farmlands. Fondly known as ‘cold and wet’, after their car registration - CAW - when in fact the weather in George’s moderate climate makes it ideal for outdoor adventure all year round. Activities include: fishing, hang-gliding, diving, water skiing, cycling, canoeing, climbing, sailing, windsurfing and surfing.

GLENTANA
The beautiful seaside village of Glentana with its beaches topped by fynbos covered cliffs that plunge precipitously into the Indian Ocean lies just east of the Great Brak River.

GOURITSMOND
Gouritsmond lies on the Garden Route on the coast, at the mouth of the Gourits River. Pretty little stone houses dating back to the 1920s dominate parts of the village, testimony to the farmers that descended on the area on holiday from the Albertina district.

GREAT BRAK
Great Brak has unspoilt beaches with a lagoon that is safe to swim in and generous sea views. The banks of the Great Brak river also have a number of picnic spots.

HARTENBOS
Hartenbos is a perfect holiday resort with an endless expanse of golden beach for walkers and anglers with a shallow, sandy lagoon that offers safe swimming and canoeing. Hartenbos lends itself to family holidays and during school vacations the tranquil town becomes a bustling seaside destination.

HEROLDS BAY
Herold’s Bay is a beautiful, secluded bay and has held an allure for holidaymakers since the days of old. Sketches and photographs in the museum tell of ox wagons filled with tents, goods and servants, camping out on the beach itself.

JOUBERTINA
Now referred to as the ‘not yet discovered’ Joubertina, and ‘the Big Apple of the R62’ (this is an allusion to the number of apple crops on surrounding farms, rather than the size of the village), the town sees a lot of traffic as a result of the wine route that winds between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn, the Langkloof and Port Elizabeth.

KARATARA, KNYSNA
Karatara adds another beautiful dimension to Knysna. It’s found approximately 35km inland of the town. Away from the sea and lakes, its landscape is one of lush farmland and indigenous forests under the watchful eye of the Outeniqua Mountains. Karatara lies on the Seven Passes, a beautiful, mostly dirt road route that’s sure to amaze. You can head north to Rheenendaal or South to Wilderness and George.

KEURBOOMSTRAND
Keurboomstrand lies on the other side of the Keurbooms River from Plettenberg Bay. This highly popular section of the Garden Route is known for its camping, fishing and swimming opportunities.

KNYSNA
Knysna is home to the forest elephant in South Africa. In times gone by, the area had large family groups of elephants. These herds have since disappeared and today a mere three elephants are reputed to still roam the forest. The rare Pansy Shell, the brilliantly coloured and elusive Knysna Loerie can also be found here including a plethora of waterfowl and forest birds. The harbour area is also home to most of Knysna’s nightlife, with several bars, restaurants and clubs where patrons can enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset over the heads.

LITTLE BRAK
Little Brak is a tranquil haven of sea, lagoon and river wedged between Mossel Bay and Groot Brak. This resort is renowned for having the mildest climate throughout the year and has many seaside activities.

MOSSEL BAY
Mossel Bay is still famous for its mussels and oysters and some of the largest catches of tunny and black marlin are made on this part of the coast. Tunnel Cave is a 60-metre passageway through the headland of Cape St Blaize, which emerges on stretch of wild coast where the beaches are notorious for their variety of sea shells. Mossel Bay is a port and busy holiday town on the sunwashed slopes of Cape St Blaize overlooking the bay, against the backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains. Mossel Bay features in the Guiness Book of Records as having the mildest all-year climate in the world, second only to Hawaii.

NATURES VALLEY
Nature’s Valley, in spite of its overwhelming beauty, has managed to remain relatively ‘undiscovered’ and lies virtually in the heart of the Tsitsikamma forest.

PLETTENBERG BAY
Plettenberg Bay has gained somewhat of a reputation as a pleasure seeker hotspot, and has many leisure activities.
A short trip on the N2 towards Port Elizabeth, and over the border into the Eastern Cape, will bring you to the Bloukrans Bridge, an engineering marvel, this bridge holds another claim to fame. It is the site of the world’s highest commercial bungee jump. At 216 metres, or the equivalent of almost 70 storeys,

RIVERSDALE
Riversdale lies at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains which feature mainly in the village’s appeal. The well-loved “Sleeping Beauty mountain peak” is a distinctive backdrop to this busy little town.

SEDGEFIELD
Sedgefield is a beautiful seaside village surrounded entirely by lakes, sand dunes covered in fynbos, pine plantations, the Swartvlei Estuary and the Indian Ocean. To the west of Sedgefield is the Swartvlei, one of the largest lakes in the area, forming a safe estuary for swimming and some excellent fishing.

STILL BAY
Stilbaai enjoys a pollution-free, safe and peaceful setting with long stretches of white sandy beach, a temperate climate and a river navigable for some 15 km. The town lies along and around the banks of the Goukou River, with a magnificent estuary and safe and beautiful beaches on either side of the river mouth. One of these, Lappiesbaai beach, has been awarded Blue Flag status.

TSITSIKAMMA
There is an incredibly beautiful area of land that lies between the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the sea stretches west to the Bloukrans River and east to Eerste River, and is named after the San word that means ‘place of abundant water’. The area is overflowing with protected indigenous forest that bears ancient trees like yellowwood, hard pear, stinkwood, and ironwood; fynbos covered landscape and the appearance of entrancing animals and birds, like the shy Knysna Loerie.

VICTORIA BAY
Victoria Bay (or “Vic Bay”) is one of the smallest bays on the Garden Route. Victoria Bay is a small, beautiful beach, almost hidden, and is basically a cove enclosed by cliffs. This is a small resort made up of a number of cottages clustered around the water front.

VLEESBAAI
The seaside village of Vleesbaai (or Vlees Bay) lies virtually hidden. This pretty little town is an idyllic, shell sampling, sun-drenched beach-filled holiday space in which endless beaches, safe swimming, leisurely walks, dolphin and whale spotting and the nearby Fransmans Hoek Nature Reserve all vie for attention. Vleesbaai is known by surfers to be one of the best kept secrets on the coast and whilst gentle swells provide great body boarding times, waves can reach five feet high.

WILDERNESS
Wilderness is an attractive holiday resort with beautiful beaches and numerous vantage points from which to watch the whales and dolphins that lies in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains.

KLEIN KAROO
The Little or Klein Karoo is bordered by the Swartberg and the Langeberg Mountains in the Western Cape. Majestic mountains lend a blue haze to the distant horizon and spring flowers draw huge numbers of tourists from all over the world for a few weeks every year when sand becomes a tapestry of flowers.

NORTHERN CAPE
The Northern Cape boasts a colourful history and a variety of cultural tourist attractions and is particularly well known for its incredible annual floral display and beautiful coastline with a number of unique national parks. The last remaining true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the Northern Cape. The whole area, especially along the Orange and Vaal Rivers, is rich in San rock engravings. The province is also rich in fossils.

THE CAPE OVERBERG
The Overberg is a great expanse of beautiful and diverse landscapes. It stretches from the Hottentots-Holland Mountains in the west, to Swellendam in the east. In the north it reaches as far as the Riviersonderend Mountains and ventures south to include an incredible coastline that draws regular annual visits from those great beasts of the ocean, the Southern Right and the Bryde’s whales.

What would have been a momentous journey in days gone by is today simply a case of driving “over the berg” (mountain) and into the Elgin Valley, one of the major apple-growing areas in South Africa today.

Literally over the Hottentots-Holland Mountains via Sir Lowry’s Pass lies a region of such immense beauty that it attracts thousands of visitors a year to its orchards, forests, grain fields and vistas surrounded by rolling mountain ranges.

The towns of Hermanus and Gansbaai are particularly popular during the whale season between June and December - Hermanus boasts the best land based whale watching along its cliff path as well as the popular whale crier, whilst Gansbaai is famous for sightings of whales and the Great White shark. Yet it is other more remote and lesser known villages that offer the true ‘jewel’ of the Overberg. Each and every one of them has something to offer the visitor and is pretty on the eye.

From Elgin and Grabouw the N2 wends its way through the incredible Houw Hoek Pass en route to Bot River. Here one’s journey can either continue inland via Caledon and Riviersonderend to Swellendam or south towards a coastline that is rich in beauty and fast becoming one of the most famous coastlines in the country.

WEST COAST
The West Coast is an acquired taste. The vegetation is subdued, the sky incredibly wide and the sea very often a dead calm expanse of the deepest blue. In spring, the somewhat monochromatic landscape explodes into a riot of colour. In small hollows between the dunes bright blue heliophilas nod on slender stalks as they turn towards the sun, and fields of orange, white, yellow and purple shimmer in the heat as far as the eye can see.

Traditionally the West Coast has been populated by subsistence fishing folk, and their thatched, whitewashed houses are typical of the area but, in many places they are becoming a tad overshadowed by rather opulent holiday homes.

The Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, near the small town of Paternoster, is also a floral paradise but it’s better known for its rocky shoreline with numerous sheltered coves. There are lots of other places to see the flowers.