Areas Surrounding Cape Town

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Day trips out from Cape Town will have you covering a lot of ground and sampling much of the Cape's delights - from its winelands, to the gigantic beasts that rule her coastline, to the slower, simpler pace of life in the fishing villages of the West Coast.

However, if you have the time to explore further afield and overnight in some of the Western Cape's smaller towns, you will be warmly welcomed.

Hermanus & Gansbaai

Hermanus is a bustling seaside town famous for its superb land-based whale watching. In season (August to November) you can sit on the cliff edges and get up close and personal with some of the many southern right whales that come to frolic (well, actually to mate and calve) in the Cape's waters every year.

While whales are the big attractions, they're not the only reason to head to Hermanus: markets, restaurants, the old harbour and Grotto Beach make for plenty to do even when the whales are away.

At Gansbaai, a mere 40 minutes from Hermanus, you can view the magnificent great white shark in its natural habitat. Staying in the cage is strongly advised though.

Hermanus is a 90 minute drive from the city; take the R44 coastal route for a particularly scenic ride.

The West Coast

Explore the Cape's rugged West Coast for a variety of flowers, surf, seafood done in the distinctive local way and sun.

During the spring months a visit to the West Coast National Park is a must, particularly in August and September when the Postberg Nature Reserve (it lies within the park) opens its gates to the public. This reserve is famous for its spectacular multi-coloured wild flower displays and rugged setting.

Follow the flowers slightly inland and you'll find the quaint village of Darling. If you start early you can fit both in. Darling is known for its good wines, tasty food and of course its spring flowers. With 10 wildflower reserves scattered around the area, springtime in Darling is like living in an oil painting.

Famous South African Satirist, Pieter Dirk Uys has built his theatre complex, Evita se Perron, here. Consisting of two theatres, a restaurant and bar, arts and crafts market and the delightful Boerassic Park, a satirical garden with statues depicting the funny and absurd side of South African life. His shows are always good and so is the food.

Paternoster is a made-for-postcards fishing village complete with a rickety old hotel stuffed with local characters, small restaurants and photogenic fishing boats perched at the edge of the sea. Langebaan's lagoon is watersport heaven.

The Cederberg

About 200km north of Cape Town lies the Cederberg, known for its spectacular rock formations and the hiking, climbing and bouldering it offers.

A magnificent area with ever changing scenery, the Cederberg boasts over 250km of well maintained footpaths and for climbers, it's heaven for a weekend.

Accommodation ranges from basic campsites in beautiful surrounds, to fully-catered luxury guesthouses.

Route 62 and the Karoo

This scenic route, which takes in the small towns of South Africa's Cape fruit growing regions, also happens to be the world's longest wine trail.

It meanders between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn, bridging the gap between the Garden Route and taking in part of the Klein Karoo, an arid area with a unique character. It's the scenic alternative to the N2 highway.

The route goes past towns and villages such as Barrydale, Bonnievale, Montagu, Robertson, Ceres, Tulbagh, Wellington and Paarl - and almost each of the stops en route has its wine cellars and estates that are well worth visiting.

The area is also known as the mountain route, with range upon range of mountain views and many scenic passes such as the famous Swartberg Pass: a nail-biting road that twists and turns through some magnificent rock formations.

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