Western Cape

Introduction

Western Cape

© SAfrica

The Western Cape is a province in the southwest of South Africa. It is one of the most popular provinces among travellers, not in the last place because of the splendid location of Cape Town and the nearby wine region at Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. To add, it has stunning coastlines and beaches, fantastic mountains and the wide open spaces of the Karoo to the north and the Cape Peninsula in the southwesternmost part. The mix of cities, relaxing and thrilling adventures makes this region a great start to visit South Africa.

Geography

The Western Cape Province is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about 400 kilometres northwards along the Atlantic coast and about 500 kilometres eastwards along the South African south coast (Southern Indian Ocean). It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is 129,462 square kilometres. The Western Cape is the southernmost region of the African continent with Cape Agulhas as its southernmost point, only 3, 800 kilometres from the Antarctic coastline. The coastline varies from sandy between capes, to rocky to steep and mountainous in places.
The province is topographically exceptionally diverse. Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt, a set of nearly parallel ranges of sandstone folded mountains of Cambrian-Ordovician age that vary in height from 1,000 to 2300 metres. The valleys between ranges are generally very fertile as they contain the weathered loamy soils of the Bokkeveld mustones.

The far interior forms part of the Karoo. This region of the Province is generally arid and hilly with a prominent escarpment that runs close to the Province's most inland boundary.

The Escarpment marks the southwestern edge of South Africa's central plateau. It runs parallel to the entire South African coastline except in the very far northeast, where it is interrupted by the Limpopo River valley, and the far northwest, where it is interrupted by the Orange River valley. The 1,000-kilometre northeastern stretch of the escarpment is called the Drakensberg, which is geographically and geologically quite distinct from the Cape Fold Mountains, which originated much earlier and totally independently of the origin of the escarpment.

The principal rivers of the province are the Berg and Olifants which drain into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Breede and Gourits which drain into the Indian Ocean.

The vegetation is also extremely diverse, with one of the world's seven floral kingdoms almost exclusively endemic to the province, namely the Cape Floral Kingdom, most of which is covered by Fynbos (from the Afrikaans meaning "Fine Bush" (Dutch: Fijnbosch). These evergreen heathlands are extremely rich in species diversity, with at least as many plant species occurring on Table Mountain as in the entire United Kingdom.

The arid interior is dominated by Karoo drought-resistant shrubbery. The West Coast and Little Karoo are semi-arid regions and are typified by many species of succulents and drought-resistant shrubs and acacia trees. The Garden Route on the south coast (between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Southern Indian Ocean) is extremely lush, with temperate rainforest (or Afromontane Forest) covering many areas adjacent to the coast, in the deep river valleys and along the southern slopes of the Outeniqua mountain range. Typical species are hardwoods of exceptional height, such as Yellowwood, Stinkwood and Ironwood trees.

Cities and Towns

• Cape Town
• George
• Oudtshoorn
• Paarl
• Stellenbosch
• Swellendam
• Worcester
• Hermanus
• Franschhoek
• Beaufort West
• Mossel Bay
• Paternoster
• Prince Albert
• Plettenberg Bay

Sights and Activities

Agulhas National Park

Agulhas National Park is in the Western Cape of South Africa. Agulhas National Park is located on the southernmost tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. The park forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park was proclaimed in March 1999, but it will take a number of years in order to acquire and consolidate all the land that is to form the complete park.

Bontebok National Park

Bontebok National Park is a species-specific national park in South Africa. It was established in 1931 to ensure the preservation of the Bontebok. It is the smallest of South Africa's 20 National Parks, covering an area of 27.86 km2. The park is located 6 kilometres south of Swellendam, in the foothills of the Langeberg Mountains. It is bordered to the south by the Breede River. There are around 300 Bontebok in the park. Before the park was founded, only 17 of this species remained alive, due to excessive hunting. Today around 3,000 individuals form the world population, of which ten percent can be seen here. There are also a number of Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest, and smaller antelopes. The park also has a variety of birdlife, with more than 200 recorded species. The Bontebok National Park is located within the Cape Floral Kingdom (fynbos), the smallest of the six worldwide kingdoms, but the one with the highest number of different species.

Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach is a sheltered sandy beach with large granite boulders that forms part of the Table Mountain National Park. The real pulling point however is the population of penguins that wander the beach and paths. The sea is a bit cool even in summer, but it's worth donning some goggles and jumping in for the opportunity of seeing these graceful swimmers in their natural environment. Access to Boulders Beach is from the town of Simon's Town, about one hour south of Cape Town and costs R45 (price November 2011) per adult. Swimming is an extra R45. The swimming is on Boulders Beach, but the boardwalks leading to most of the penguins is actually on Foxy Beach.

Chapman's Peak Drive

The Chapman's Peak Drive is amongst the most beautiful coastal drives anywhere in the world and certainly can compete with Big Sur in California and the Great Ocean Road in Australia.

Chapman's Peak Drive

© soupatrvlr

Garden Route

Wilderness coastline

© Utrecht

The Garden Route is a popular scenic drive along a stretch of the southern coastline of South Africa. Although the Garden Route extends into the Western Cape, most of it is actually located in the Eastern Cape: a fantastic drive along the beautiful southern coastline, where ancient forests, surf spots, hiking and bungeejumping can all be combined within days. The name comes from the verdant and ecologically diverse vegetation encountered here and the numerous lagoons and lakes dotted along the coast. The Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains are located inland of the coast. The Garden Route is in between the mountains and the Indian Ocean. The Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma indigenous forests are a unique mixture of Cape fynbos and temperate forest and offer hiking trails and other activities. Nearly 300 species of bird life are to be found in a variety of habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands and 10 nature reserves protect these biodiverse ecosystems of the area as well as unique marine reserves, home to coral reefs, dolphins, seals and many other forms of aquactic life. Various bays along the Garden Route are breeding grounds of the endangered Southern Right Whale which come there to calve in the winter and spring (July to December).

Karoo National Park

Karoo National Park, founded in 1979, is a wildlife reserve in the Great Karoo area of the Western Cape, South Africa near Beaufort West. This semi-desert area covers an area of 750 square kilometres. The Nuweveld portion of the Great Escarpment runs through the park. It is therefore partly in the Lower Karoo, at about 850 metres above sea level, and partly in the Upper Karoo at over 1,300 metres altitude. The Karoo National Park is a sanctuary for herds of springbok, gemsbok (or Oryx), Cape mountain zebra, buffalo, red hartebeest, black rhinoceros, eland, kudu, klipspringer, bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackal, ostriches, and, since fairly recently, lions. It also has the greatest number of tortoise species of any park in the world - five in total. The endangered riverine rabbit has been successfully resettled here. A large number of Verreaux's eagles have nests on the cliffs of the Escarpment. Martial eagles, booted eagles and the shy Cape eagle-owl are other raptors that can be seen in the Park. A wide variety of smaller birds occur in abundance, making the Park a birder’s paradise. The park has also been populated with Rau Quagga which are Plains or Burchell's zebras that have been back-bred to resemble the quaggas that roamed the karoo in great profusion until the middle of the 1800s, when they were hunted to extinction. The last quagga died in Amsterdam Zoo on 12 August 1883.

Robben Island

Nelson Mandela's cell on Robben Island where he spent 17 years.

© Yacca

Robben Island, located just off the coast from Cape Town, is famous for being where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held during the apartheid period. Some of the tour guides were themselves political prisoners so they have plenty of insight about what went on there. Tours run several times a day, every day, from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (+27 (0)21 413-4200). Tickets can be purchased online as well at the above website. Trips leave at 9:00am, 11:00am and 1:00pm and tours take 3.5 hours including the ferry ride to and from the island. The cost is a rather steep R220.

Route 62/Wine Route

Route 62 is a great alternative to the coastal route (N2) in South Africa's Western Cape. Better known as the Wine Route, it runs partly across some of the best wineries and most fantastic landscapes anywhere in the world. A visit to the wine areas of Wellington, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson and the Klein Karoo is possible and it's one of the longest wine routes in the world. Activities along Route 62 include wine tours, safari drives, tribal art, cultural tours, museums, hiking, mountain climbing, 4x4 routes, canoeing, horse riding, ostrich riding, fishing, and caving. The original regional Route 62 runs between Montagu and Humansdorp, but the total route spans a distance of 850 kilometres from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.

Table Mountain National Park

Cape Town

© hihoscuba

Table Mountain National Park is located in and near Cape Town, South Africa and was established in 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, and in particular the rare fynbos vegetation. The most famous feature of course is the Table Mountain itself: like the 1,000 or so geysers on the world which are named after the Icelandic Geysir, Cape Town's Table Mountain is the grandfather of all table mountains in the world. It towers above the city, while Devil's Peak and Lion's Head tower above the mountain itself. The flat top is about 3 kilometres wide and offers tremendous views over the city and the ocean. There are only small differences in height on this flat, with the cable car station only 19 metres lower than the highest point. Although in 2 to 3 hours you are able to climb (walk) up to the top, the Table Mountain Cableway takes passengers up and down the mountain, ascending over 700 metres from Table Mountain Road.

Tsitsikamma National Park

Tsitsikamma National Park is a protected area on the Garden Route, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is a coastal reserve well known for its indigenous forests, dramatic coastline, and the Otter Trail. On 6 March 2009 it was amalgamated with the Wilderness National Park and various other areas of land to form the Garden Route National Park. The park covers an 80 kilometres long stretch of coastline. Nature's Valley is at the western end of the park, and the main accommodation is at Storms River Mouth. Near the park is the Bloukrans Bridge, the world's highest bridge bungee jump at 216 metres. The word "Tsitsikamma" hails from the Khoekhoe language tse-tsesa, meaning "clear", and gami, meaning "water", probably referring to the clear water of the Tsitsikamma River. Other meanings are 'place of much water' and 'waters begin'.

Wilderness National Park

Wilderness National Park, also called the Wilderness Section, is located around the seaside town of Wilderness between the larger towns of George and Knysna. It is a protected area of South Africa forming part of the Garden Route National Park. This natural area stretches from the Touw River mouth to the Swartvlei estuary and beyond, where it links with the Goukamma Nature Reserve, giving protection to five lakes and the Serpentine, which is the winding strip of water joining Island Lake to the Touw River at the Ebb & Flow Rest Camp. The wildlife in this natural area is varied, and includes the Knysna seahorse, pansy shell, pied kingfisher, Knysna lourie, grey heron, and little egret. This park protects three major zones of indigenous forest, four types of fynbos (wild shrubs), plus various lakes and winding waterways. There are also a number of archaeologically significant sites. The Touw River connects a series of three lakes: Eilandvlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei, which host a variety of aquatic species and have been designated as a Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance). Dolphins and whales can be seen from Dolphin Point. Sports within the park include canoeing or bicycling, abseiling, kloofing, paragliding, boating, fishing and hiking.

Other Sights and Activities

• For travelers wanting to experience what the Western Cape's wine farms have to offer, a visit to Vrede en Lust is a must. This premier wine estate is situated in the lush Cape Winelands and offers wine tours, wine tasting. Visitors can also simply relax in the luxurious and tranquil surroundings.
• Another activity visitors to the Western Cape can partake in is a Big 5 Game Drive offered at the Aquila Private Game Reserve, allowing them to enjoy a genuine and authentic wildlife experience.

Events and Festivals

World Cup 2010

The big upcoming international event on the South African horizon is the FIFA World Cup beginning on the 11th of June 2010. One of the most prestigious and popular world sporting events, the World Cup 2010 promises to bring throngs of passionate supporters from around the globe. Held once every four years, it's a football tournament (called soccer in South Africa) where 32 world nations vie for the famous golden trophy.

Games in Cape Town will be played at the new Green Point Stadium, which will have a capacity of almost 70,000 once building has been completed.

Getting There

By Plane

Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is the main gateway by air to the Western Cape.
South African Express flies between Cape Town and Walvisbaai and Windhoek in Namibia, Gaborone in Botswana and Maputo in Mozambique. KLM flies between Amsterdam and Cape Town directly. Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines fly from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to Cape Town as well. The latter has flights onwards to Buenos Aires. Cape Town has flights to Istanbul, Düsseldorf and Munich and from June 2008 to New York as well and several African cities, mainly in the south of the continent.
South African Airways, Sout African Airlink andMango all fly to and from Cape Town from a number of South African cities as well, including Bloemfontein, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Johannesburg.
If you want to excess the Western Cape in the east, the George Airport (GRJ) has domestic flights to/from Johannesburg and Durban.

To/from the airport

• Car: The airport is accessible from the N2 freeway, with Airport Approach Road providing a direct link between the N2 (at exit 16) and the airport. The airport can also be indirectly accessed from the R300 freeway via the M12, M10 and M22. The airport has about 1,500 parking places in the general parking area, and 1,750 parking places in the multi-storey parkade located near the domestic terminal. Rental cars are widely available at the airport, with both international and local agencies.
• Bus: The MyCiTi bus rapid transit system provides a shuttle service connecting the airport with the Civic Centre bus station in the city centre. Buses depart every 20 minutes from 04:20am to 10:00pm.
• Transport is also provided by metered taxis and various private shuttle companies.

By Train

Shosholoza Meyl is the national railway, with services between Cape Town and several major South African cities. Most of the connections are budget, but there is a Premier Class train between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The main routes are:

• Cape Town - Durban via Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Kroonstad and Ladysmith, 36 hours, tourist and economy class both once weekly
• Cape Town - East London via Matjiesfontein, De Aar and Queenstown, 28 hours, economy class only, once weekly
• Cape Town - Port Elizabeth via Oudtshoorn, 24 hours, premier class only, once weekly
• Cape Town - Johannesburg via Matjiesfontein and Kimberley and Matjiesfontein, 27 hours, premier class twice weekly, tourist 4 weekly and economy daily.

By Car

If you are coming from Johannesburg or Bloemfontein, take the N1 all the way, those coming from Port Elizabeth along the Garden Route will probably be on the N2. If you are coming down from Namibia, you should take the N7 southbound.
Distances (on main N routes) to other cities to/from Cape Town include:

• Johannesburg - 1402 kilometres
• Port Elizabeth - 769 kilometres
• Durban - 1753 kilometres
• Bloemfontein - 1004 kilometres
• East London - 1079 kilometres
• Kimberley - 968 kilometres
• Springbok - 550 kilometres (border Namibia 700 kilometres)
• Pretoria - 1460 kilometres

By Bus

There are many companies offering services to and from Cape Town, but the main operators are Greyhound South Africa, Intercape and Translux. They serve both several international as well as many domestic destinations.

The Baz Bus is a bus where you can hop on and of and is mostly used by backpackers travelling on a budget. They are dropped off at hostels. There are three routes. One is running between Cape Town and Durban.

By Boat

The Royal Mail Ship "Saint Helena" travels regularly between Saint Helena and Ascension Island, Walvis Bay and Cape Town. The schedule is primarily designed to meet the needs of locals and cargo for St. Helena, and thus follows a timetable but not a consistent routing. In general terms, the ship leaves Cape Town once a month, before heading to St. Helena, sometimes via Walvis Bay. From St. Helena it will then run 1 or 2 shuttles to Ascension Island, before returning to Cape Town, again sometimes via Walvis Bay. Occasionally, Cape Town is omitted, and the ship returns to St. Helena directly from Walvis Bay.

For travelling directly to Tristan da Cunha, there are only a few boats a year from Cape Town (and sometimes Namibia). If you are lucky enough though, the trip takes 5 or 6 days and will mean you have to spend months on the island. Tickets roughly cost about 1000 to 1200 US dollar for a return trip. It's best to check the Tristan da Cunha website for details.

Getting Around

By Plane

The only noteworthy option is between Cape Town and George.

By Car

If you would like to travel around by car, there are numerous car rental companies available from the airports and downtown locations. Just make sure that you have sufficient insurance to cover you if the need arises. Some of them offer the possibility to reduce excess (the amount you pay when involved in an accident) for a daily fee. Car hire companies include Avis, Imperial, CABS Car Hire, First Car Rental as well as many other international and local ones. Usually, the local ones are cheaper but don't have the same standard as the international ones, which have more branches throughout the country and therefore are able to help you more quickly if needed.

If travelling by car, be sure to plan your routes carefully to insure that there are sufficient places to fill the tank with petrol as some towns are located quite a distance apart with no filling stations in between. It's a good idea to fill up with fuel when you have about half a tank left if possible.

By Bus

The main bus companies offer regular services in the Western Cape (e.G. Intercape, Greyhound, Translux) as does the Baz Bus.

By Boat

Boats go from Cape Town to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 20 years from 1964 to 1984.

Eat

Cape Town offers everything you want. Along the coast look-out for some fish and oysters, while in the Cape Winelands head for some of the countries finest dining experiences.

Drink

This is the region to taste South Africa`s best wine. Tour the cellars around Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek but check for a driver before. Recently the wine producing areas in the Overberg, Swartland and Robertson are gaining international recognition. Not only is the wine tasting in these areas for free. While the wine of the traditional wine producing areas of South Africa are moved to the lower shelves of the European supermarkets the ones from the upcoming areas can be found in top restaurants and special liquor stores and wine boutiques in Europe and North America as premium brands.

External Links

• Official Government Website
• Official Tourist Website