Western Cape Attractions

Cape Town and Western Cape

Western Cape Attractions

View of Table Mountain

Once you've booked your hotel or Western Cape accommodation explore our destination pages below for info on attractions and what to do in the Western Cape.

The Western Cape's Attractions are plentiful and varied. The Western Cape is one of South Africa's premier tourism destinations and for good reason. The Cape province is renowned for the world-famous landmark Table Mountain, its vast Cape Winelands and the most exquisite coastline.

The Western Cape is made up of 12 distinct regions, 5 popular tourist routes and offers many 'must-see' attractions.

Western Cape Attractions and Destinations

Destinations / Regions of the Western Cape

Cape Town Attractions

Where to stay: Cape Town accommodation

With its majestic icon Table Mountain backdrop and pristine beaches, Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful, culturally diverse cities in Africa. Between the high-rise office blocks, Edwardian and Victorian buildings ... cape town attractions

Cape Helderberg

Where to stay: Cape Helderberg accommodation

Cape Helderberg includes Somerset West, Strand and Gordon's Bay. The region is comfortably close to Cape Town and Cape Winelands, and is the perfect stop-over for tourists visiting the Overberg or Garden Route. Famous... cape helderberg information

Cape Overberg

Where to stay: Cape Overberg accommodation

The Overberg includes Swellendam, Arniston, Caledon, Hermanus and L'Agulhas. It is the most southerly region and is surrounded by mountains and ocean. The holiday-friendly shoreline is famed for whale watching... cape overberg information

Cape Agulhas

Where to stay: Cape Agulhas accommodation

Cape Agulhas, or the place where two oceans meet, lies at the furthest tip of Africa, a region that includes the towns of Arniston, Bredasdrop, L�Agulhas, Napier, Elim and Struisbaai. Historically, the cape... cape agulhas information

Cape West Coast

Where to stay: Cape West Coast accommodation

The area includes Darling, Langebaan, Saldanha, St Helena Bay and Yzerfontein. The beautiful coastal wild flower reserves unravel across green hills. Famous for seaside resorts, flower displays, the West Coast National Park... cape west coast information

Olifants River Valley

Where to stay: Olifants River Valley accommodation

Includes the towns of Clanwilliam, Lamberts Bay, Citrusdal and Vredendal, and comprises one of the largest citrus producing areas in South Africa. It is also known for its scenic beauty and the fascinating distorted... olifants river valley information

The Cederberg

Where to stay: Cederberg accommodation

The beautiful Cederberg, a wilderness area dominated by a craggy mountain range and a nature reserve that stretches from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal to just north of the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam - over 70 000 ha... cederberg information

Cape Winelands

Where to stay: Cape Winelands accommodation

The rich, fertile soils especially around the areas of Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, have become world famous for their whites, reds, sherries, ports and brandies. It is the Mediterranean climate and... cape winelands information

Breede River Valley

Where to stay: Breede River Valley accommodation

An area of panoramic landscapes and towering cliffs which provide magnificent views of its valleys. It is the largest fruit and wine producing region and includes Montagu, Ceres, Bonnievale, Worcester and Tulbagh... breede river valley information

The Swartland

Where to stay: Swartland accommodation

The main town of the Swartland, Malmesbury, lies at the centre of one of the country's most important wheat-producing areas. Lush fruit plantations, expansive protea farms and indigenous veld flowers complete the picture. The region... swartland information

Klein and Central Karoo

Where to stay: Karoo accommodation

The principal towns of the little Karoo are Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, De Rust, Uniondale, Beaufort West and Prince Albert. Famous for the Cango Caves, ostrich farms, the Karoo National Park, hiking trails, the Voortrekker Monument, Gamkaskloof... karoo information

Garden Route

Where to stay: Garden Route accommodation

The Garden Route runs between Heidelberg and Storms River, parallel to a coastline featuring lakes, mountains, tall indigenous forests, amber-coloured rivers and golden beaches. Meandering trails are followed by hikers, the... garden route information

Western Cape Attractions and Destinations

Popular Tourist Routes

Cape Wine Routes

When one reflects on the splendours of the Cape - lush green valleys, rugged mountains, azure seas and sky - then the Cape�s winelands are usually top of the list. Visitors pour into the Western Cape to experience our viticulture, restored Cape Dutch farmsteads with their distinctive gables and thatched ... more information

Route 62

Travelers headed for the Garden Route will find that Route 62 offers a better alternative to the dull N2 motorway between Cape Town and George, being more scenic and slightly shorter. This well-maintained blacktop highway meanders from Worcester, by way of the Breede River Valley and the Klein Karoo, on to George and ... more information

Cape Whale Coast

The coming of the whales to the Western Cape's southern coastline, also known as the Cape Whale Coast, every year between June and November, not only creates a stir, but brings to our shores a large, intelligent and remarkable giant of the sea and the only mammal to have adapted to life in the open oceans ... more information

The Penguin Route

The diminutive African Penguin with its peculiar gait, black feet, and obvious cute factor is found mainly on islands off our shoreline. It has also taken up residence amongst us in mainland colonies, like Boulders beach and Stony Point, both of which have become major tourist... more information

Rooibos Heritage Route

Savour the peace and quiet of the Suid Bokkeveld and the Cedarberg Mountains on a route that links Nieuwoudtville and Wupperthal via Moedverloor (the route is also sometimes called the Moedverloor Route). En route are a group of authentic small scale farmers that you can visit, guided hikes ... more information

Western Cape Attractions and Destinations

"Must See" Attractions in the Western Cape

Table Mountain

Since the first person laid eyes on Table Mountain, it has exerted its powerful and charismatic pull, enchanting and drawing any and all who fall under its spell. The way to the top has never been easy, and for many centuries only a handful of bold and enterprising people could say ... more information and photo gallery

Robben Island

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, 12 kilometres from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment. It was here at Robben Island that rulers sent those regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society. During the apartheid years Robben Island ... more information

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants. The Kirstenbosch estate covers 528 hectares ... more information

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

One of Cape Town's biggest tourist attractions, the Waterfront evokes images of the early activities of the harbour. Much of its charm lies in the fact that this busy commercial harbour is set in the midst of a huge entertainment venue with pubs, restaurants, specialty shops, craft markets, theatres and movies ... more information

Cape Point

Bartholomeu Dias, the Portuguese seafarer, was the first to sail around the Cape. This was in 1488. On his return voyage, which must have been particularly stormy, Dias stopped at the south-western tip of Africa, and named it Cabo Tormentoso, or Cape of Storms. King John of Portugal later gave it the name ... more information

Cape Town Beaches

The Mother City has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and something to offer everyone. It is no surprise that South Africa was one of the first countries outside of Europe to earn blue flag status for some of her beaches - there are three on offer in and around Cape Town. The blend of ... more information

Wine Estates

The Cape Winelands are, undoubtedly, one of South Africa�s most treasured attractions. They represent the heart of the wine-making industry in the country, which is recognised all over the world for its top quality wines and its sheer variety. The region is situated to the east of Cape TownCape Town ... wine estates

Cango Caves

Almost 30 kilometres outside of Outshoorn in the Klein Karoo, and certainly one of the main reasons for placing this little town on your itinerary, other than the prospect of riding an ostrich, lie the Cango Caves, some of the biggest stalagmite formations in the world set in Precambrian times ... more information

Western Cape Attractions and Destinations