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The Southern Cape is situated between Cape Town and the beginning of the Garden Route, and attractions include the famed Cape Floral Kingdom, sweeping mountains, beautiful bays and sandy beaches.
Hermanus, the largest coastal town in the Overberg, is built along magnificent cliffs which overlook Walker Bay. Originally a fishing village, it is now a cosmopolitan town offering a wide variety attractions. A walk along the 14km cliff path is a must during whale season (June to November), as it has earned the village the reputation of offering the best land-based whale watching in the world. Hermanus also has the world’s only Whale Crier, who sounds his kelp horn to announce that whales have been sighted. The town also holds an annual Whale Festival, which is hugely popular with locals and tourists.
The towns also has its own wine route, which winds its way through the scenic Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Valley, and includes the vineyards of Hamilton-Russell, Bouchard-Finlayson, Whalehaven and Sumaridge.
Further along the coastline specially licensed operators offer boat-based whale watching from De Kelders and Gansbaai. Another popular attraction in the area is the great white shark, and a number of operators offer boat trips and cage-diving.
Cape Agulhas, the southern-most point of Africa and the official meeting place of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, is another drawcard in the area. The lighthouse at Cape Agulhas is a national monument and museum, and is the second-oldest working lighthouse in South Africa.
The picturesque village of Arniston, with its whitewashed fisherman’s cottages, makes for a wonderfully peaceful escape from the pace of everyday life. For over 200 years local fisherman have been setting out to cast their lines at first light. To them, this is Waenhuiskrans, named after the nearby seacave capable of housing several ox-wagons. Buy fresh fish off the fishermen’s boats each day, and breathe in the crisp sea air as you take a relaxing stroll along Arniston’s pebbled beach.
Nearby De Hoop Nature Reserve, a 36 000 hectare conservation area and World Heritage Site, offers rich biodiversity and rare species of fynbos leading down to an unspoiled coastline. Enjoy activities like interpretive fynbos and rock pool walks, birding excursions, hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as beach-based whale watching during whale season.
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