Cape Overberg, Western Cape

Baardskeerdersbos

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Baardskeerdersbos

The fertile Baardskeerdersbos Valley is one of the most undisturbed areas of the Overberg region. It is a rural drive of about 25 km from Gansbaai. Baardskeerdersbos is home to several pristine and rare fynbos habitats of ... baardskeerdersbos information

Barrydale

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Barrydale

The little town of Barrydale lies nestled at the foot of the beautiful Langeberge in the heart of the Tradouw Valley, close to where the northern exit of the Tradouw Pass winds through the mountains to meet Route 62, the longest ... barrydale information

Bettys Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Bettys Bay

At the heart of the Whale Coast, Betty's Bay features scattered cottages, several beaches and three small lakes. Bass Lake is a popular place for swimming, canoeing and boardsailing. In the centre of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the ... bettys bay information

Botrivier

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Botrivier

The small, picturesque village of Botrivier lies in the foothills of the Houw Hoek Mountains, en route to Hermanus. The Bot River, after which the hamlet is named, meanders its way through a fertile valley surrounded by mountains covered in ... botrivier information

Caledon

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Caledon

Set against the backdrop of the Swartberg, surrounded by fields of barley and wheat, is the little town of Caledon. Caledon is famous for its hot springs, discovered by the early Khoi-Khoi people before the Europeans attributed healing ... caledon information

Cape Agulhas

Where to Stay: Cape Agulhas Accommodation

The biggest draw card for Cape Agulhas, other than the fact that it lies only two hours from Cape Town on one of the most beautiful coasts in the country, is that this little village lies on Cape Agulhas, the end of the African ... cape agulhas information

De Hoop

Where to Stay: Accommodation in De Hoop

De Hoop and adjacent marine reserve lie on the southern Cape coast between the towns of Arniston and Witsand. This is one of the most biologically diverse sanctuaries in the world and rates as one of the great floral wonderlands ... de hoop information

De Kelders

Where to Stay: Accommodation in De Kelders

The little village of De Kelders, which lies just 5 km north of Gansbaai and about 25 minutes’ drive from Hermanus, has managed to remain largely immune to the large scale tourism that envelopes this part of the country, and is still ... de kelders information

Elgin

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Elgin

The Elgin Valley, one of the Cape’s most beautiful fruit growing areas, is literally an hour’s drive from Cape Town and one of the Cape’s better kept secrets in the sense that it is yet to be inundated with crowds over weekends ... elgin information

Gansbaai

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Gansbaai

The unpretentious village of Gansbaai - has a large reputation. Both Southern Right Whales and Great White Sharks frequent the Atlantic waters of the Danger Point Peninsula and are a major draw card for the town ... gansbaai information

Grabouw

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Grabouw

Reaching the town of Grabouw entails a mere hour’s drive from Cape Town over the Hottentots Holland Mountains with a descent into one of the most beautiful valleys in the Western Cape - the Elgin Valley - filled with flowers, fruit ... grabouw information

Greyton

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Greyton

The peaceful little hamlet of Greyton lies surrounded by the Riviersonderend (river without end) mountains and farmlands some 90 minutes from Cape Town, and is fast earning the reputation as a perfect weekend getaway ... greyton information

Heidelberg

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Heidelberg

The peaks of the Langeberg Mountains form a dramatic backdrop to the village of Heidelberg. At the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Boosmansbos Wilderness Area, over 170 bird species have been recorded, adding to ... heidelberg information

Hermanus

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Hermanus

The popular resort town of Hermanus, situated between mountain and sea, has gained world-wide recognition of the world's foremost land based whale watching destinations. Natural scenic beauty, the mild climate, the range of ... hermanus information

Kleinbaai

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Kleinbaai

The appealing little village of Kleinbaai has suffered the unmerited disadvantage of being the smaller of two towns that lie at Danger Point Peninsula, where shark diving and whale watching are world-renowned draw cards ... kleinbaai information

Kleinmond

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Kleinmond

Kleinmond lies on a lagoon at the small mouth - hence the name - of the Botriver on a narrow strip of land hugged on the one side by the Palmiet Mountain range and on the other by the Atlantic Ocean. Kleinmond is within easy driving ... kleinmond information

Pearly Beach

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Pearly Beach

Not even 20 km from Gansbaai, Pearly Beach has been described as the longest undisturbed sand beach in the Western Cape, and even if this is a little grandiose a description, the beach nevertheless seems endless ... pearly beach information

Pringle Bay

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Pringle Bay

The little seaside village of Pringle Bay is one of the four towns set within the natural beauty of the Kogelberg Biosphere, the only reserve in South Africa to be proclaimed by UNESCO, which supports over 1600 species of fynbos ... pringle bay information

Riviersonderend

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Riviersonderend

Riviersonderend, the little village in the Overberg that lays claim to a river without end, lies roughly between Caledon and Swellendam on the N2 about 160 kilometres from Cape Town. Only an hour inland from the coast ... riviersonderend information

Sandbaai

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Sandbaai

Sandbaai is one of the newer suburbs in the Greater Hermanus area that lies literally in a little sandy bay, hence its name, just past the L’Agulhas lighthouse. The village is only a stone’s throw away from Hermanus and to the east of ... sandbaai information

Stanford

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Stanford

The unique little village of Stanford lies just inland of False Bay, forming the tip of a triangle with the coastal towns of Hermanus and De Kelders. Peaceful and largely unaffected by change, Stanford is an eclectic mix of ... stanford information

Swellendam

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Swellendam

The picturesque little town of Swellendam is just off the N2 about 240 km outside of Cape Town and connects the Southern Overberg with the Garden Route. Swellendam lies at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains and has become ... swellendam information

Vermont

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Vermont

Vermont borders on Onrus and on a number of green belts created in an effort to maintain the inherent tranquillity and endemic fynbos and bird life in the area. Its name, which is derived from the French words 'mont vert' ... vermont information

Villiersdorp

Where to Stay: Cape Overberg Accommodation

The centre where the fruit of the district is processed and marketed. Wine can be sampled at a wine tasting centre. The charm and tranquillity of Villiersdorp are typical of many small towns of the Western Cape. The large, scenic ... villiersdorp information

Witsand

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Witsand

The peaceful, coastal town of Witsand (white sands) lies on St Sebastian’s Bay just off the N2 on the Cape South Coast, three hours from Cape Town. St Sebastian Bay and Witsand are virtually synonymous with the ... witsand information

Cape Whale Coast

The coming of the whales to the Cape Overberg coastline, also known as the Cape Whale Coast, every year between June and November, not only creates a stir, but brings to our shores a large, intelligent and remarkable giant of the sea and the only mammal to have adapted to life in the open oceans ... more information

Shark Cage Diving

Shark cage diving in South Africa has grown greatly in popularity and there are now a number of commercialized locations to view these incredible monsters of the deep. Your adrenaline is sure to pump as you come almost face to face with the sea’s most awesome predators. Shark cage diving is ... more information

Hermanus Whale Festival

The Hermanus Whale Festival, the only Enviro-Arts festival in South Africa, is held annually to celebrate the return of the Southern Right whales to the waters of Walker Bay, our magnificent environment and the arrival of Spring! Hermanus, known as the best land based ... more information

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area lies in the beautiful Langeberg Mountains, over 14 000 hectares that is, in turn, part of the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. It is regarded as a hiker's domain, a great space in which to scale peaks to reach views that are virtually unsurpassable, if clambering up ... more information

Walker Bay Wine Route

Walker Bay, a 45 minute drive from Cape Town, has become a fashionable region to visit, particularly with the establishment of over a dozen wineries in and around Hermanus, already popular for its whale spotting between June and November. The Hemel-en-Aarde (heaven and earth) Valley, just ... more information

De Hoop Nature Reserve

The De Hoop Nature Reserve is approximately 34 000 ha in size and one of the largest natural areas managed by Cape Nature Conservation. It is a favourite destination for hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and during the winter and early summer months, whale watchers. The entire length of the De Hoop coast is ... more information

Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve

Lying in the heart of the Langeberg Mountains, roughly 22 kilometres north-west of Heidelberg in the Cape Overberg, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is exactly as its name denotes - a wonderful large section of forest - 250 hectares of the largest remaining example of indigenous forest in the Langeberg. This ... more information

Harold Porter Botanical Gardens

The Harold Porter National Botanical Garden lies in the epicentre (heart) of the Cape fynbos region - a dedication to this natural shrubland vegetation with 10 hectares of cultivated fynbos garden, and a further 190 hectares of natural fynbos to gratify the visitor. The peaceful ... more information

Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve

Lying within the southern extension of the Hottentots Holland Mountain range about 90 kilometres south-east of Cape Town and 8 kilometres from Kleinmond, the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve has managed to remain largely unspoilt, in no small part due to its ability to remain relatively ... more information

Elgin Wine Route

The Elgin Valley is exquisite, with long stretches of forest and endless mountain peaks surrounding fruit orchards, and indeed Elgin is part of the Four Passes Fruit Route. The wines that have begun production here are predominantly fruity, and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Shiraz do particularly well ... more information

Drostdy Museum

The Drostdy Museum is actually a collection of several historical buildings that include one of the oldest surviving examples of a Drostdy building in South Africa, hence the name of the museum. It is not only a beautiful museum that includes large grounds and a typically nineteenth-century Cape garden, but is also ... more information

Heuningberg Nature Reserve

If you are in pursuit of the Bredasdorp Lily then a trip to the Heuningberg Nature Reserve, set on the slopes of Heuningberg (Honey Mountain) south east of Bredasdorp, is a good place to start, particularly as the core of the reserve started its life as a wildflower garden. Today the over 800 hectare nature reserve ... more information

Riviersonderend Conservation Area

This is without doubt a particularly beautiful part of the Cape Overberg. The Riviersonderend Mountain range hugs the conservation area, which is predominantly rugged, filled with forested kloofs, rivers, gorges and peaks that beg to be climbed. It is a hikers’ paradise, in other words. The mountainous parts of ... more information

Salmonsdam Nature Reserve

Just 20 kilometres east of the pretty village of Stanford, in the hills of the Perdeberg Mountains, the Salmonsdam Nature Reserve is well known as both a hikers’ and birders’ delight, not least because of the particularly attractive mountain landscape, and the ... more information

Walker Bay Nature Reserve

Extending along a stretch of coast between the town of De Kelders and the Hermanus Lagoon, the Walker Bay Nature Reserve lies just 3 kilometres from Gansbaai, east of Hermanus on the Danger Point Peninsula. One can get into the reserve at Stanford, via Mierkom, De Kelders (Die Plaat) and Uilkraalsmond but appeals ... more information

Picnic at Hamilton Russel Vineyards

Where: Hermanus
How much (per person): On Request

Visitors to the Hamilton Russell Vineyards Tasting Room are able to book picnics the day before a visit from Peter and Gillian of Under the ... more information

Fly-fishing in the Elgin Valley

Where: Elgin
How much (per person): On Request

Should you dare to see if you could ever catch your own lunch try cast a line at one of the three trout dams stoked with Rainbow Trout. Regu ... more information