Cape Town: base camp for all your adventures in the fairest cape…

CCape Town is a tourist paradise with plenty to keep visitors entertained in the city itself and all over the peninsula, but it’s also important to realise just how many unique Western Cape experiences are available only a short drive away – and we’re not only referring to the famous Cape Winelands. 

The surrounding areas – no matter which direction you head off in – offer wonderful opportunities for self-drive holidays and organised tours, with Cape Town as your home base. There’s the West Coast, the Garden Route, the Overberg, the Cederberg and a little further afield, even the arid landscape of the intriguing Karoo and the historic town of Oudtshoorn. 

These regions to the east, north and west match the Mother City for attractions, scenic beauty and adventure, and they are home to the most down-to-earth versions of everything South African. 

On the West Coast, walk in the path of the early Khoisan, whose signature can be found in hundreds of rock paintings, particularly in the rugged Cederberg. 

At the West Coast Fossil Park, a 90-minute drive from Cape Town, there’s a rich find of animal fossils – even 3-toed horses. Visit Paternoster for a classic fishermen’s-village retreat, and Yzerfontein for an endless, unexploited stretch of beach. 

About mid-year, depending on the rains, the region bursts into bloom with acres of daisies, as the wild flower season starts. 

From June, Southern right whales visit the Overberg coast, taking up residence in the inlets and coves of Walker Bay whale sanctuary. Watch them frolicking from the cliffs and beaches of the seaside town of Hermanus or get up close in a whale-viewing boat. Don't miss Cape Agulhas, marked by a lighthouse; the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. 

The Garden Route runs up the south-eastern coast of Western Cape into the neighbouring province of Eastern Cape, incorporating Mossel Bay, Sedgefield, George, Wilderness, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna. Aptly named, it’s a veritable Eden.  

Beaches, lakes, lagoons and forests combine with magnificent golf estates, adventure tourism and cultural attractions. Considered South Africa’s adventure-sports capital, it’s a region sprinkled liberally with thrills like extreme bungee jumping, zip-lining, sea kayaking and treetop canopy tours through the amazing Tsitsikamma forest. 

Don’t be fooled by the dryness of the Karoo. Under its infinite skies, there’s much to encounter: archaeology, wildlife, architecture and some of South Africa’s most impressive mountain passes. The Sutherland Observatory is of particular interest to star gazers, and snow is common during winter. 

The Cango Caves outside Oudtshoorn drip with stalactites and stalagmites, while the ostrich palaces, located on farms where you can ride one of the birds if you dare, have retained their elegance. 

Pick any of these routes, and you’re sure to find little bits of tucked-away history on your travels.