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SURFING HOLIDAYS IN THE WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
ROUGH GUIDE TO CAPE TOWN & SURROUNDING AREAS
Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula and the Western Cape cover an area considered one of the most beautiful in Africa. Steeped in a rich history it is a cultural melting pot with its diverse and vibrant character being derived from Khoisan and other African tribes from the North, and Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers.
The Cape Peninsula - on the Southwestern tip of the African continent - has been long considered the "Gateway to Africa", Cape Town and its environs offer the tourist an almost limitless choice of activities amidst a scenic garden that is without parallel anywhere in the world. Iconic Table Mountain, the pristine coastline with its white sandy beaches, the magnificent countryside with its bountiful rivers, lagoons and dams, and the unique flora kingdom, together with the warm summer climate and friendly people, make the Cape Peninsula & the Western Cape a perfect holiday destination.
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CAPE TOWN
There is nowhere on the planet quite like Cape Town! Perched between the ocean and the mountain, with a national park as its heart, it´s a place that you will never forget. Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years.
Don´t miss a visit up Table Mountain; the V&A Waterfront, a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbour; Robben Island, the former home of Nelson Mandela; the Cape Town Wine Routes, where some of the world´s best wines are produced and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world.
Cape Town is one of the most popular long haul destinations in the world.
Between beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the streets, the smell of spicy Malay cooking and the tang of a well-made wine, this city will fill your senses.
You'll never be bored in Cape Town.
Table Mountain offers some of the best climbing in the world, and it´s right here in the city. The surfing is fantastic; the diving is cold but good. You could go mountain biking, or go sea kayaking - you may see whales or penguins. If the wind is right, you could fly off Lion´s Head with a qualified tandem paraglider pilot, and land on the beach in time for sundowners. If all this sounds too gung ho for you, don´t worry. You can shop till you drop at Cavendish, Canal Walk or the Waterfront. There is lots of live music, art exhibitions, museums, plays and even opera, ballet or symphony concerts on all year round.Cape Town appeals to the nature-lover, extreme sports enthusiast and the nightcrawler!
THE GARDEN ROUTE
Scattered along the Garden Route, fashionable seaside resorts abound, attracting jet-setters from around the globe. Tiny coastal villages appeal especially to outdoor people who enjoy an unstructured holiday agenda.
Mountains crowd close to a shoreline dotted with beaches and bays, and vividly coloured wild flowers delight the eye. The Garden Route runs parallel to a coastline featuring lakes, mountains, tall indigenous forests, amber-coloured rivers and golden beaches. Meandering trails are followed by hikers, the forests invite long, leisurely drives, and the lakes and rivers lend themselves to swimming boating and fishing. A wide range of leisure options, spectacular scenery and a mild climate guarantee an unforgettable holiday experience.
The region provides a stirring study in contrasts and stretches on the southern coast from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River. It’s a nook of the country that offers inspiration to writers and artists whose presence gives the Garden Route a trendy flavour.
The coastal drive links a series of charming towns interspersed with natural beauty. Along the way, every kind of adventure activity is possible; surfing, bungy jumping, scuba diving, abseiling, fishing and more. The Tsitsikamma National Park, perched on a tumultuous Indian Ocean shore is one of South Africa’s most dramatic protected areas, combining marine and land attractions. Its indigenous forests are a haven for birdlife.
An important geological feature is the Cango Caves, a series of caverns and chambers naturally hewn out of limestone, situated outside the city of Oudtshoorn. The Cango Caves are among the top ten most visited South African attractions. Oudtshoorn itself, the heart of the ostrich feather industry when it was in its hey day the late 1800s and early 1900s, is well worth a visit. The grandiose, old feather palaces are still to be seen, while ostrich farms, now involved in the commercial production of meat, leather, eggs and feathers, can be toured, with the possibility of riding an ostrich.
THE WEST COAST
The West Coast is a region of contrast and beauty. Stretching over 400km from south to north, the region and its people offer the visitor a surprising variety of travel experiences and destinations. These include the beautiful, and at times desolate, coastal region with its magnificent lagoon and numerous small fishing villages; the grain and wine farms of the Swartland and Sandveld; the citrus, Rooibos and wines of the Olifantsrivier Valley; the spectacular magnificence of the scenic Cederberg and Groot Winterhoek Mountains and the arid beauty of Namaqualand and the Knersvlakte.
To the west the region borders on the Atlantic Ocean and where the ocean washes the shores. The scenic beauty of this solitary coast is complemented by its plentiful sea life, with dishes like mussels, crayfish or line fish pulled from the cold water of the Benguela Current, offering the visitor a rich and unique culinary experience. Migrating whales visit the coastal waters from July to December and heavyside dolphins are often sighted. The region is also a bird watcher´s paradise as bird life abounds and travelling waders, seabirds and birds of prey are just part of the variety offered by this beautiful region of the Cape.
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