ZebraTravel.co.za
Your one stop online shop for travelling South Africa

Overview:

The Western Cape is South Africa’s most visited province, and for good reason.   It is a place of great natural beauty and diversity and there is so much to see and do.  The Western Cape is home to Table Mountain and a unique floral kingdom as well as the arid Karoo and lush Garden Route. 

There is so much to do including nights out on the town and shopping in Cape Town, driving the wine routes through Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschoek and relaxing on the pristine white sandy beaches along the coast.  The Western Cape is a great holiday destination for everyone.

Climate:

The Western Cape generally experiences a Mediterranean climate.  Summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and rainy.  Summer temperatures in December to February range from around 15 to 27 degrees Celsius (60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit), whilst in the winter months of June to August average temperatures are between 7 to 20 degrees Celsius (45 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit).

'© South African Tourism

Top Destinations:

Cape Town

Cape Town, fondly known as “The Mother City” is a cosmopolitan, international city which has something for everyone.  Enjoy great food, the winelands, world class shopping, scenic drives, pristine beaches and the city’s rich cultural heritage to name but a few attractions.

Robben Island, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch, the Winelands are just a few of the must see places in this beautiful region. Cape Town is one of the most popular coastal towns in Southern Africa. It is the ideal location for holidays, conferences and breakaways.

Hermanus

Hermanus is a quaint town on the whale coast and is thought to be the best spot from where to watch the whales frolicking in the Atlantic Ocean when they come in to mate and calve.

Nature lovers from all over the world visit Hermanus to view these magnificent creatures from the the cliffs.
Every year around July, locals eagerly await the arrival of special guests of honour, the Southern Right Whales. These visitors are an endless source of delight as they gambol in Walker Bay, in easy view of the cliff paths. They favour the relatively shallow waters of the bay for breeding and mating.

Knysna

Knysna can be found along the Garden Route and is well known for its annual Oyster Festival held in July.  With many attractions, Knysna has great food and restaurants, beautiful scenery and many outdoor activities for the whole family.

After being South Africa’s favourite town of the year for a few years in a row, it has now received international recognition for the gem it is - it was named as one of the Top 100 Destinations in the World and one of the Top 25 in Africa by the Trip Advisor, 2008 Travellers’ Choice Destinations Awards.

Wine Lands

There are a number of wine routes in the Western Cape area.  These destinations are all about beautiful landscapes, stunning mountain passes, beautiful valleys and of course excellent wine.

The fertile green valleys of the Cape Winelands are surrounded by mountain ranges, quaint towns and villages and have many historic homesteads and monuments. Every so often fruit orchards are to be seen, whose produce may be found in all corners of the world. It is the Mediterranean climate and winter rainfall of the South-Western Cape that produces some of the best wines in the country.

Main Attractions:

Garden Route

The Garden Route is one of South Africa’s main tourist attractions.  It stretches from Heidelberg to Storms River along the Indian Ocean and also includes parts of the inland.  The route winds its way for 200km via George, Wilderness, Sedgefield and Knysna on to Plettenberg Bay and the Tstisikamma Forest. Tourists often drive the length of the Garden Route and stop at quaint B&B’s and guesthouses along the way.  The area features lakes, beaches, indigenous forests, rivers and mountains.

Wine Route

There are wine routes expanding the length and breadth of the region.  Some of these include Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschoek, the Breede River Valley and a closer to the city of Cape Town is Constantia valley.  Be impressed not only by world class wines but also breathtaking scenery of the vineyards with their Dutch gabled houses.

Whale Coast (Hermanus)

This stretch of coastline runs from the coastal hamlet of Rooiels in the west to Quoin Point in the East.  The main towns of the area are Kleinmond, Hermanus, Stanford and Gansbaai.  Tourists are attracted each year to this Atlantic coastline to watch the whales come in to mate and calf.

Table Mountain

Table Mountain is Cape Town's most prominent feature and a world famous landmark. The mountain is visible from almost everywhere in Cape Town and is often used as a beacon by which to find direction.  One can ascend the mountain via the cable car, or for the more energetic there are a number of hikes to the top.