The West Coast stretches from Cape Town as far north as Bitterfontein, including the Swartland, Sandveld and Olifants River Valley areas, and offers a wide variety of travel destinations.  The West Coast Road (R27) passes Bloubergstrand, 25 km from Cape Town, a coastal suburb with a fine view of Table Mountain across the bay, and Melkbosstrand, 35 km from Cape Town, named after the many milkwood trees which grow there.  The first (and only) nuclear power station in South Africa is situated at Koeberg, just north of Melkbosstrand.  Yzerfontein is located on an unspoilt coastline, and is well-known for its open-air seafood restaurants, whale-watching, surfing and wind-surfing.  The R27 passes the turnoff to Langebaan, a small village on the banks of the Langebaan Lagoon, 124 km from Cape Town, is an ideal place to stay when visiting the West Coast National Park, or en-route to Namaqualand or Namibia.  The Langebaan Lagoon, 26 km long and 4,5 km wide, forms part of the West Coast National Park.  A narrow isthmus separates the lagoon from the sea.  Postberg, part of the reserve, and Donkergat, an old whaling station, now used by the navy, are at the end of this peninsula.  The West Coast National Park is a wetland wilderness, filled with birds, wildlife and spectacular flowers in August and September.  Saldanha, 175 km from Cape Town, is a fishing harbour that also caters for ore carriers.  Saldanha Bay, a large natural harbour, is deep enough for large vessels. There are four islands at the entrance to the bay, and as there have been many wrecks in the area, this is a popular diving spot for treasure hunters.  Just north of Saldanha is Vredenburg, the administrative and commercial centre, and nearby are the fishing villages of Paternoster and St Helena Bay.  Shelley Point is an exclusive seaside estate with a 9-hole golf-course.  Velddrif is situated at the mouth of the Berg River, and the estuary attracts large numbers of flamingos, spoonbills and glossy ibis.  At Lambert’s Bay, 294 km from Cape Town, Bird Island is a popular attraction and is the breeding ground for jackass penguins and many seabirds.  Whale- and dolphin-watching boat trips are conducted from the harbour.  Contact Saldanha Bay Tourism  Phone: 022 714 2088  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

On the R307 to Darling lies Mamre, 52 km from Cape Town, a mission station established in 1808 by the German Moravian Society.  It has a restored water-mill, and the parsonage is a national monument.  Darling, 76 km from Cape Town, is known for wild flowers and holds annual wild-flower and orchid shows.  Waylands and Oudepos, 5 km and 1,5 km before the village, are private flower reserves. The Tinie Versfeld Flower Reserve is 12,5 km beyond Darling on the road to Yzerfontein.  Malmesbury, 52 km from Cape Town on the N7, is situated in an area known as the Swartland because of the dark colour of the indigenous Renosterbos (Rhinocerous Bush), especially in summer.  At Morreesburg, where wheat and grain farming are the main agricultural activities, the main attraction is the Wheat Industry Museum, one of only three in the world.  Contact Swartland Tourism Association  Phone: 022 487 1133 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Citrusdal, situated in the Olifants River Valley at the foot of the Piekenierskloof, is the gateway to the Cedarberg and Namaqualand.  Clanwilliam, 227 km from Cape Town, is the heart of the rooibos tea industry, and is situated alongside the 18 km-long Clanwilliam dam.  Ramskop Nature Reserve has over 200 indigenous species of wild flowers.  The road from Clanwilliam to Calvinia, over the scenic Pakhuis Pass, leads to Wupperthal, a Moravian mission village.  The Cedarberg Wilderness Area includes the peak of Sneeuberg, the flat-topped Tafelberg and the unusual rock formations of the Maltese Cross and Wolfberg Arch, ass numerous Khoi-San rock paintings.  Contact Clanwilliam Tourism Association  Phone: 027 482 2024  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Just over the mountains from Cape Town, the Overberg offers a wide variety of experiences.  The area is filled with fynbos, beautiful beaches, rolling wheatfields and farmlands, and its waters are the breeding ground for the southern right whale.  Betty’s Bay consists of many holiday homes, mostly set in the surrounding fynbos.  The Harold Porter Botanical Gardens comprises five hectares of cultivated fynbos and 195 hectares of pristine natural fynbos.  The garden has a restaurant and an indigenous plant nursery.  The sea at Hermanus is the nursery of the southern right whale, and between June and November each year courting, mating and calving whales can be viewed from the rocky cliffs.  A whale-crier walks the streets, giving information about viewing sites.  The old harbour served the fishing industry for over a century.  Fernkloof Nature Reserve, consisting of 25 km of hillside fynbos, contains many walking trails.  Stanford is a village well-known for its rich history, fynbos farming and a wealth of artists and crafts people.

The town of Caledon, the capital of the Overberg, is well known for its spring Wild Flower Show and its hot mineral springs.  Genadendal is home to the first Moravian mission station (1737) in South Africa.  Further inland, Greyton is a beautiful village at the foot of the mountains.  Bredasdorp is set in an important agricultural area.  The Agricultural Museum displays farming equipment from previous generations and the Shipwreck Museum features items salvaged from various ships wrecked off the south coast. The town of Elim, established in 1824 by German missionaries, has South Africa’s oldest watermill.  The restored mill dates back to 1828.  The Moravian Church’s  clock dates from 1764.  The attractive fishing village of Arniston has whitewashed fishermen’s cottages, turquoise seas and endless white sand-dunes.  Waenhuiskrans is a large cave along the coast, which can be visited at low tide.

Cape Agulhas, 230 km from Cape Town, is the southernmost point of the African continent.  The De Hoop Nature Reserve has five hiking trails, ranging from easy to challenging, the most difficult of which follows the coastline.  Advanced bookings are recommended and overnight trails are also an option.

The Breede River  Valley is the largest fruit and wine producing valley in the Western Cape. Worcester, situated 103 km from Cape Town on the N1, is the economic and service centre of the Breede River Valley.  The Karoo National Botanical Garden is Africa’s only true succulent garden.  Many succulent species thrive in the 10 hectares of landscape gardens.  Kleinplasie Open-air Museum depicts 19th century life in the area and has a restaurant and wine sales.  The Worcester Winelands offers many award-winning wines and the KWV Brandy Distillery is the largest of its kind in the world.  Other places of interest include the Afrikaaner Museum, the Goudini Spa and the Brandvlei Dam.  Contact Worcester Tourism Bureau  Phone: 023 348 2795

Robertson, situated 47 km from Worcester between the Langeberg Mountains and the Breede River, is in a wine-and-fruit-producing area.  The town is well-known for roses, champion race-horses and wine.  The Robertson Wine Valley, previously known as the Robertson Wine Trust, was established in 1983 and today represents 34 members in Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor and Robertson.  Lime-rich soils and unique climate give the region the natural attributes to produce outstanding wines, particularly Chardonnay and red wine.  The progressive-thinking wine-makers continue to experiment with cultivars and techniques.  The Robertson Valley was the first Wine of Origin district (including all its wards) to be allowed to certify its own wines under the wine of origin laws. An annual Food and Wine Festival, Country Wide Promotion and Young Wine Show are held to promote the region's wines.  Phone: 023 626 3167  Fax: 023 626 1054  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   Website: www.robertsonwinevalley.co.za

Situated 194 km from Cape Town at the start of Route 62, Montagu is a charming historic village nestling between two mountain ranges.  Crystal-clear air, beautiful mountains and a superb climate make Montagu an ideal hiking and climbing  destination.  Known as South Africa’s “muscadel capital”, Montagu also produces some fine wines.  The Hot Springs, surrounded by towering cliffs, offer an ideal venue to relax and unwind in the calming and healing waters.  A popular three-hour tractor ride provides a fine view of the valley from the summit of the Langeberg Mountains.  Guests can enjoy a taste of muscadel and dried fruit, followed by an optional potjie lunch in the pine forest.  Ceres is situated 153 km from Cape Town and is one of the most important deciduous fruit producing areas in South Africa.  Ceres is a scenic town with warm summers and frequent winter snowfalls.  At the first winter snowfalls, Capetonians flock to Ceres to enjoy the snow.  For those seeking adventure, the area around Ceres offers excellent 4x4 routes, mountain-bike trails, scenic hiking trails and kloofing.  The Ceres Bergfynbos Reserve features indigenous flora, dramatic rock formations and Khoi-San paintings. 

Nearby Tulbagh has a breathtaking mountain setting and many interesting examples of stylish, white Old Cape Dutch buildings.  Church Street has the greatest concentration of national monuments in the country.  A row of 32 historic homes, restored to their original form after an earthquake in 1969, line the street.  The area also has a wine route.  Contact Tulbagh Tourism Bureau  Phone: 023 230 1348.