• Cape Agulhas - Southernmost Tip of Africa - At Cape Algulhas, you will witness the southernmost point of the African continent and the start of the boundary between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization. Historically, sailors have regarded the cape as a significant danger on the traditional clipper route.
• Hermanus New Harbour - Hermanus, renowned as the world’s premier land-based whale-watching destination, is a bustling holiday resort that offers all modern amenities while maintaining its charming fisherman’s village atmosphere. Nestled between mountains and the sea, Hermanus has gained global acclaim for its whale-watching opportunities, leading to significant growth in recent years.

The town’s success is attributed to its natural scenic beauty, mild climate, variety of outdoor activities, and proximity to Cape Town, being just 140 km from the Cape Metropole. It serves as an ideal base for exploring the Western Cape and the Cape Overberg.

• Stanford - Peaceful and largely unchanged, Stanford is a unique blend of shops, galleries, restaurants, and coffee shops, with a surprising array of activities for a rural village. Like many Overberg towns, Stanford began as a farm, de Kleine Riviers Valey (original spelling), and its tree-lined streets with historical buildings reflect the English influence, making it the third most historically significant village in the Western Cape.

The heart of Stanford, around the market square—used for a monthly country market and the annual Welsh Pony Show—was declared a South African Heritage area in 1995. The original farmhouse of De Kleine Riviers Valey, built in 1785, is one of the oldest houses in the Cape Overberg, and the beautiful stone church, believed to have been built in the 1700s, still stands, although records have been lost.

Two must-visit spots in Stanford are the Birkenhead Brewery, a boutique brewery offering beer tasting and lunches, and the Stanford Walking Trail, which meanders along the Klein River through the town, providing glimpses of many birds, including the endangered Blue Crane, South Africa’s national bird.

• Gansbaai Tourism - The humble village of Gansbaai, named after a flock of wild Egyptian geese that supposedly gathered at the freshwater fountain near the harbor, has a big reputation.

Both Southern Right Whales and Great White Sharks frequent the Atlantic waters of the Danger Point Peninsula, drawing many visitors. Located between Hermanus and Pearly Beach, Gansbaai sits in Walker Bay at the base of the Dynefontein Mountains, with a stunning coastline rich in fynbos vegetation.

Dyer Island, near Gansbaai, is a breeding ground for African penguins, cormorants, and other seabirds, while nearby Geyser Island is home to around 60,000 Cape fur seals. The channel between these islands, known as ‘shark alley,’ attracts Great White Sharks.

The waters around these islands have become a feeding ground for the endangered species, leading to the rise of shark cage diving from Kleinbaai’s harbor. Fortunately, the area around Dyer Island is a nature reserve, and only boats with permits from the Department of Nature Conservation can enter.

The entire Walker Bay area, from Gansbaai to Hermanus, is a whale sanctuary where Southern Right Whales can be seen close to the shore during their mating and calving season. These magnificent creatures migrate thousands of miles from Antarctica to our waters, where bays like Gansbaai and nearby De Kelders offer perfect refuge.

• Clarence Drive Outlook Point - Clarence Drive is one of the most breathtaking coastal drives in the world, rivaling Chapman’s Peak without the toll cost. Part of Route 44, Clarence Drive hugs a scenic stretch of coast southeast of Cape Town, connecting Rooi Els and Betty’s Bay, with the Hottentot Hollands Mountains on one side and the ocean on the other.

With seventy-seven bends, numerous wide curves, and a few sharp corners, there are plenty of opportunities to pull over, get out of your vehicle, and take in the stunning views (including whale sightings in winter). It’s one of the flattest ‘mountain passes’ you’ll ever drive.

• Elim Moravian Mission - The quaint village of Elim, characterized by white-washed fishermen’s cottages and fig trees, is one of the few remaining South African mission stations. Founded in 1824 as the third Moravian mission station in the Cape, it lies halfway on the dirt road between Bredasdorp and Gansbaai, beautifully preserved as a historical town.

Elim is worth visiting for its neat rows of cottages, most dating back to the 19th century, made of mud-brick, plastered with lime from sea shells, and thatched with restio grass. There are also modern versions with brightly painted walls and corrugated iron roofs.

Elim, meaning ‘place of God,’ may be in a sparsely populated area, but it has recently gained recognition on the wine map (see: Cape Wine Routes). Four wine-producing partners in the Elim ward—Black Oystercatcher, the Berrio, Zoetendal, and First Sighting—have come together to form the Elim Winegrowers, reminiscent of the self-sustaining farming community that once supplied goods to surrounding settlements.

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