Western Cape

Welcome to the Cape Peninsula! The beautiful mother city of Cape Town has much to offer its visitors. From Table Mountain to Robben Island, its sights and sounds ensure a memorable holiday. However, no visit would be complete without exploring the Cape Peninsula. The slender finger of land that comprises the Cape Peninsula holds a host of delights to discover and enjoy. Whether you are looking for spectacular scenic vistas, historic sites, the oldest wine estates in the country or the serenity of a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, the peninsula has it all and much, much more.

The West Coast

The West Coast is blessed with stark natural beauty. Places such as Kraalbaai and Churchhaven, safely conserved in the West Coast National Park, are well worth visiting. The quaint fishing village of Paternoster famed for its picturesque wooden fishing boats scattered along the shoreline and home to the Cape Columbine Lighthouse and nature reserve is a must for those looking to sit back and destress. Where else in the region would you find such an irresistible combination of pristine beach, whitewashed village charm, and little to disturb the gentle, soothing atmosphere a mere hour away from Cape Town?

The Cape Winelands

The Winelands offers breath-taking scenery, historic homesteads, superb restaurants and of course, copious quantities of fabulous wine routes and a 300-year history. The Franschhoek Wine Tram hop-on hop-off tour is one of the best ways to discover the true essence of the Franschhoek Valley!

The Breede River Valley

An area of magnificent views, panoramic landscapes and towering cliffs, crystal clear streams, an abundance of trees and indigenous flora, the Breede River Valley is the largest of the Western Cape’s three fruit and wine producing valleys. A heavily cultivated region, graced with orchards, vineyards and wheat lands, surrounded by mountains, the higher peaks of which are heavily capped with snow in winter. The Breeder River Valley town of Montagu is the starting point for Route 62, the longest wine, fruit and mountain route in the world.

The Klein Karoo

The Klein Karoo region has a landscape fashioned almost entirely by water, ranging from lush greenery in the fertile river valleys to short, rugged Karoo plants in the veld. Gorges follow rivers that cut through towering mountains and passes cross-imposing terrain, leaving one stunned by the magnificence. The long narrow valley is rich in geological shapes, culture, history, Bushman art, prolific plant species and is also the home of the spectacular Cango Caves as well as the largest bird in the world – the ostrich

The Garden Route

The Garden Route is universally known for its spectacular natural beauty. The journey crosses magnificent mountain passes, winds gently along the unspoiled coastline, and ventures deep into the breath-taking state forest in the Tsitsikamma National Park. The lush, forested Garden Route takes in some of the country’s finest seaside resorts, like Wilderness, Plettenberg Bay, and – perhaps the best known of all – Knysna, with its giant sandstone ‘Heads’ framing the entrance to the lagoon.

The Western Cape offers visitors a wealth of attractions, too many to list here, so we have listed only the absolute must visit sites to ensure a holiday of a lifetime.

• A Peninsula coastal scenic drive offers unsurpassed views over mountains and the sea
• Iconic Table Mountain. A sunset cable way trip is a must for those romantically inclined
• The V&A Waterfront, South Africa’s most visited tourist attraction
• Robben Island, home for so many years to President Mandela
• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; recognised world-wide for its beauty and the diversity of flora
• Groote Constantia Wine Estate, the oldest wine estate in South Africa
• The Jackass Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach
• The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (Cape Point)
• The West Coast National Park; world renowned as the place where ‘Eve’s Footprint’ was discovered; one of the earliest signs of human existence. The park includes Langebaan Lagoon
• Paternoster, a traditional West Coast Fishing Village
• Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, the most westerly working lighthouse in South Africa
• The Cape Winelands towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek
• Walker Bay, Hermanus offering the best land-based whale watching in the world
• The Seweweekspoort Gorge; Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort Gorge, just a few of the Route 62 jewels
• The Garden Route attractions encompassing the Map of Africa, Knysna Lagoon, Knysna Elephant Park, Monkeyland, the Robberg Nature Reserve, Wilderness National Park and the Tsitsikamma National Park

Experiences in the Western Cape;
• Let your hair down with a Harley Davidson cycle tour following the two oceans coastal route travelling via Chapman’s Peak Drive and the False Bay coast, including Simon’s Town, Kalk Bay and St James
• Sunset cable car trip up Table Mountain
• Sunset / Champagne catamaran cruise to Camps Bay
• Helicopter flights over the Cape Peninsula
• Whale Boat trips and for the brave, a shark cage dive
• Discover the Vineyards of Franschhoek on the Wine Tram, a hop-on-hop-off service
• Outinequa Power Van Excursions – a must for all rail and nature lovers. Departures from George in the Garden Route
• Experience the delights of Route 62, travelling through scenic mountain passes, incredible gorges, vineyards and fruit orchards, amidst quaint villages where time has seemingly stood still for 40 plus years
• Ferry cruise on Knysna Lagoon
• Close encounters with elephants at the Knysna Elephant Park
• Experience the world’s highest commercial Bungy Jump
• Visit the Tsitsikamma National Park and enjoy a walk through the indigenous forest to the Storms River Mouth Suspension Bridge

• The Western Cape is pretty much a year-round destination. Enjoying a Mediterranean style climate, temperatures seldom drop below double figures.
• The Cape enjoys winter rainfall (June to August) but travel inland and you will experience much drier conditions. Summers are warm and dry.
• The Green Season; May through to end September offers fantastic value for money with May & September two of the best months, away from the summer season in terms of weather
• The Western Cape is a malaria free region, an ideal safari destination for first time visitors as well as families
• Never try to fit too much into your first visit to South Africa, you will be back. You need time to savour each location, so try not to move too often
• The structure of your holiday is without doubt the most important factor. The structure is just like the foundations of any building; a weak foundation will only bring disappointment. A good structure needs a strong local knowledge, Cape Tours has this covered. What do you have to lose, give us a call or simply click on the Enquiry Button!