The Western Cape, one of South Africa's nine provinces, is situated on the southern tip of Africa. It is a region of majestic mountains, well-watered valleys, barren landscapes, wide, sandy beaches and breathtaking scenery.

Cape Town

Table Mountain viewed during sunset from Cape Town's Blouberg Strand Beach.

Cape Town is the jewel in the crown of the South African tourism, unless you're a wildlife and nature purist in which case the Kruger National Park would probably take that honour. The city centre's location with the impressive Table Mountain as backdrop and expansive Table Bay in the foreground offers the first clue as to why this city is so loved by virtually all who visit it. To understand even better what makes Cape Town such a great holiday destination add to the mixture friendly cosmopolitan residents, stunning beaches, breathtaking coastal drives, world-class hotels, great restaurants and coffee shops, shopping centres as well as pavement shops, arts, culture, history, adventure activities and a host of other attractions. For more click here.

The Cape Peninsula
The peninsula protruding from the south-western tip of Africa is known as the Cape Peninsula. On this peninsula one of South Africa's largest metropolitan areas, Cape Town, survives together with spectacular natural areas. Apart from Cape Town the Peninsula features Table Mountain, The Twelve Apostles (in fact a range of 16 buttresses) and Cape Point located in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. All of these areas, the city excluded, falls within the Table Mountain National Park.

Other towns and villages on the Peninsula include Clifton (beautiful boulder strewn sandy beaches), Camps Bay (sandy family beach), Hout Bay (Duiker Island, World of Birds, Chapman's Peak Drive); Kommetjie; Scarborough; Simon's Town (South African Naval HQ, Boulders Penguin Colony, shark cage diving - Great White); Kalk Bay (sandy family beach - warmer water); St. James and Muizenberg.

The Cape Winelands

Groot Constantia, a historic Cape Town wine estate.

As the name suggests the Cape Winelands is known for its over 100 wine estates. It is the heart of the very healthy and world-renowned South African wine industry. The changing colour palette of vineyards during the various seasons combined with mountainous backdrops makes for beautiful scenery. A day tour in the Winelands is a must for anyone spending a few days in the Cape Town area. The main towns in the region, known for their Cape Dutch architecture and rich historic heritage are Stellenbosch, Franschoek and Paarl. If you are a wine connoisseur you will need to put a couple of days aside to explore what the region has to offer.

The Garden Route
The coastal stretch from the Tsitsikamma Forest in the north-east to Mossel Bay in the south-west is generally known as the Garden Route. It has been given this name because of the region's beautiful vegetation and mountainous scenery making for a breathtaking coastal experience.

Some of the towns and associated attractions on the Garden Route are: George (Outeniqua Pass, world renowned Fancourt Golf Estate); Keurboomstrand (tidal Keurboomsriver, Arch Rock); Knysna (Knysna Forest & Estuary, Featherbed Nature Reserve, Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe); Mossel Bay (Dias Museum); Plettenberg Bay (Robberg, whale & dolphin watching cruises); Sedgefield; The Crags (Monkeyland and the highest bungy jumping in the world at Bloukrans River Bridge); Nature's Valley (secluded town with excellent coastal hikes and beach); Tsitsikamma National Park (indigenous forest, coastal hiking routes, various adventure activities); Victoria Bay (family beach resort); Wilderness (coastal mansions of the rich, nature reserves & inland lakes).

Route 62

A farm in the Oudtshoorn district in South Africa's Klein Karoo.

A very popular in-land alternative to the section of the National Route 2 (N2) from Mossel Bay to Somerset West (greater Cape Town) is Route 62. It incorporates both the R62 and R60 (national roadwork route designations) but is marketed, for purposes of tourism, under the former. It forms a very scenic link between the Garden Route and Cape Town or the Cape Winelands.

Some of the towns and associated attractions along Route 62 are: Oudtshoorn (Cango Caves, Ostrich Farms, Cango Wildlife Ranch, annual KKNK art festival); Calitzdorp (Port wines); Ladismith; Barrydale ("big 5" Sanbona Wildlife Reserve); Montagu (museums, Montagu Springs, mountain hiking & climbing); Robertson (wine estates, hiking); Worcester (Kleinplasie Living Open Air Museum, Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden) and the Du Toitskloof (Huguenot Toll Tunnel & Du Toitskloof Pass).

The Little & Great Karoo

The Swartberg Pass near Prince Albert.

It's difficult to define where the Little Karoo starts and ends as well as where you cross from the Little to the Great Karoo… Both are dry and arid areas rich in fossil deposits and semi-desert fauna and flora. Some of the towns mentioned under "Route 62" above fall within the Little Karoo. Some additional towns and associated attractions in the region include: Ceres; Tulbagh; Matjiesfontein (well preserved Victorian era Karoo dorp); Beaufort West (Karoo National Park) and Prince Albert (Swartberg Pass, The Hell).

The Overberg
Many South Africans regard the Overberg as "that boring massive wheat field between Mossel Bay and Somerset West". It is indeed, together with the Swartland elsewhere in the Western Cape, the bread basket of South Africa. However, if you know where to go and are willing to venture of the National Route 2 (N2) it has some not-to-be-missed jewels for the tourist.

Some of the towns and associated attractions in the region include: Greyton; Genadendal (old-worldish moravian mission station village); Caledon (thermal springs & Wildflower Garden and Nature Reserve); Swellendam (Cape-Dutch architecture, Bontebok National Park, horse trails); Witsand (De Hoop Nature Reserve, Breede River Mouth, whale watching); Arniston & Waenhuiskrans (Fishermens' Cottages, tidal grotto & coastal hikes); Cape Agulhas (most southerly point on African Continent); Elim (moravian missionary village); Gans Bay (shark cage diving - Great White & Grootbos Private Nature Reserve); Hermanus (best shore-based whale watching in the world); Kleinmond (Arabella Country Estate & Western Cape Hotel and Spa) and Betty's Bay (penguin colony & beach or mountain hikes).

The West Coast
The western coastal area and interior of the province is best known for its aridness and vast empty spaces. It is mostly not very tourist orientated but this is part of its attraction. In flower season, around August, the West Coast interior, known as Namaqualand, is a paradise of landscapes coloured by millions of multicoloured flowers. The wheat-growing region of the Swartland and the extraordinary surrealistic landscapes of the Cederberg Mountain Range also form part of the region.

Towns and associated attractions in the greater West Coast area include: Darling (home to regular Evita Bezuidenhout hosted cabaret shows); Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area (hiking, mountain biking, paragliding); Langebaan & Saldanha (Langebaan Lagoon, Westcoast National Park); Paternoster & Tieties Bay (coastal hikes & fishermen's cottages); Velddrif (annual Berg River Canoe Marathon); Lambert's Bay (gannet colony, whale & dolphin watching, horse trails); Citrusdal & Clanwilliam (Cederberg with its various strange rock formations and Bushman Painting sites, Wuppertal moravian mission station).