The Overberg

The Overberg includes the towns Swellendam, Hermanus, Gansba

The Overberg includes the towns Swellendam, Hermanus, Gansbaai, Bredasdorp, Ariston and Cape Agulhas

In the Overberg you will discover the wild flowers as you experience the Overbergs winter floral displays. These floral jewels embrace mountains, valleys and coastal areas. The Overberg is home to an immense diversity of wild flowers and fynbos, many which are unique to the region. It is during winter that the less travelled roads are bordered by a colourful array of flowers. The many botanical gardens, parks and nature reserves exhibit these special flowers throughout the winter months.

From June to November the Whale Coast with its rugged inlets and safe bays, acts as a playground and nursery to the Southern Right whales

The Overberg offers a wide range of accommodation facilities from basic self-catering establishments to luxury 5 star hotels.

Lying at the southernmost tip of the African continent where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, east of the city of Cape Town, is a fertile area surrounded by mountains and sea. Simply called the Overberg it is the traveller’s reward for breaching the mountain barriers which divide it from the rest of the country. To the early settlers it represented the land beyond the mountains of Africa. This superb coastal area, rugged in places, stretches from Hangklip to the mouth of the Breede River. It is approached from the Cape Peninsula over the dramatic Sit Lowry’s Pass along the N2 national road or by a precipitous coastal road carved from the sea cliff. The foothills of the mountain, covered in a wealth of indigenous orchids and the famous red disa, roll down through green and gold wheat and sheep country to Cape Agulhas at the tip of Africa. Here, apart from the cry of seagulls and the endless beat of the surf along a holiday-friendly shoreline which gives rest to the wreckage of scores of luckless ships, silence prevails, solitude is easy to find and fish are abundant and in great variety. A scattering of tiny seaside resorts in the vicinity attract regular caravanners, campers and fishermen. In contrast is Hermanus, which has been dubbed in Riviera of the South . The famous and the wealthy flock there every summer to bask in the sun, watch the ever-increasing numbers of migrating whales in winter, play golf, sail sleek yachts and indulge in fine food and wine.

Accommodation in and around Overberg