60 km further on from Heidelburg you will pass by the little town of Albertinia, known as the home of the Aloe. The indigenous Aloe Ferox, or Cape Aloe, grows prolifically in the area and the leaves are collected and drained for its bitter-tasting sap used in the health and skin care industries. This is […]
Heading back to the N2 from Witsand, almost the first town we come to is Heidelburg. Set on the banks of the Duiwenhoks River, with the Langeberg peaks forming a dramatic backdrop, we are now approximately 270 km to the East of Cape Town. The town dates back to 1855, after the German city of the […]
Heading on Eastwards, and before you get to Heidelburg, take a detour towards the coast, and you come to the peaceful, coastal town of Witsand. This is the spot where one of the greatest concentrations of Southern Right Whales comes come here to calve every year. On a good day, between June and late November, is it […]
Another little gem of a village between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn on Route 62 is the wine-producing town of Montagu. Known as the ‘mountain mecca’ of the Cape, Montagu is one of the best examples of a late Victorian agricultural village, with a number of well-preserved Cape Dutch and Georgian buildings in Long Street. Montagu is not […]
Heading further west along the N2 we pass the picturesque little town of Swellendam, an oasis of green, lying at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains. Its origins date back to the Dutch Colonial times, one of the oldest buildings being the Drostdy Museum, which was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1747. The town […]
Said to be the most beautiful village in the Cape, Greyton nestles in a hollow in the majestic Riviersonderend Mountain range, at the end of the R406 tar road, off the N2 in the Overberg. Quaint, natural and unspoilt, with mostly dirt roads, this is a wonderful place to stay for a few days. There […]
Two delightful and historically important towns that you can easily do in a day from Hermanus, which first involves returning to the N2 at Breedasdorp before heading onwards in an Easterly direction. You will come to Genadendal first, a quaint little village just six kilometres away from Greyton, which is one of the most popular towns […]
You might think that Cape Point is the southernmost tip of Africa, but it’s not! That honour belongs to Cape Agulhas, some 125 km East of Hermanus and easily done in a day trip from there. The road takes you through the town of Bredasdorp, home of Julian Keyser Ceramics, which you will see in […]
Hermanus is best-known for its whales. It is one of the best places on the coast to see these amazing mammals, mainly because they love the safe waters here and the coastal paths around the town offer so many fantastic viewing points. They say this is probably the best land based whale watching destination in […]
There is a lot to do in Cape Town and the local area, but if like so many visitors you decide you have to return, you will need to think of something else to see. It is a huge area and there is plenty of choice! A favourite option is the drive towards Port Elizabeth, the […]