 
| | In the most southerly region of Africa, only one hour east of Cape Town, lies the Overberg, a fertile area surrounded by mountains and sea. It is the traveller's reward for breaching the mountain barriers which divide it from the rest of the country. To early settlers it represented the land beyond the mountains of Africa, a region rich in resources as well as boundless treasures.
The Overberg coast, also called the Whale Coast, has the distinction of splitting the oceans. At Cape Agalhas, the southernmost tip of the continent, the waters are cleaved into the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The foothills of the mountains, covered in a wealth of indigenous fynbos, roll down through green and gold wheat and sheep country to the lighthouse here. Apart from the cry of seagulls and the endless beat of the surf along a holiday-friendly shoreline - which also gives rest to the wreckage of scores of luckless ships - silence prevails and solitude is easy to find.
A scattering of tiny seaside resorts in the vicinity attract regular caravanners, campers and fishermen. In contrast is Hermanus, a bustling town where crowds flock to watch migrating whales between June and November. The region offers visitors a myriad other activities, such as golf, hiking, birdwatching, canoeing, mountain biking, architectural tours, historical tours, fynbos and flower trails and, of course, unending opportunities to indulge in fine food and wine. Cape Agulhas Lighthouse (Overberg) The coming of the whales to the Overberg coast, also called the Cape Whale Coast, creates a stir when reports of sightings draws crowds who gather to watch the greatest mammal show on earth. The whales are most frequently seen at the old whaling slipway at Stony Point near Betty's Bay, along the coastal cliff paths of Kleinmond, Onrus, Walker Bay (Hermanus, De Kelders) and at the De Hoop Nature Reserve's Koppie Alleen. Walker Bay and De Hoop Nature Reserve are respectively the world's most important calving and mating grounds. A beautiful drive can be taken along Clarence Drive (R44) which will take you along breathtaking viewing spots of False Bay and the visiting whales. In all of the above places one can view them from as close as 30 metres from the cliff paths. The peak time for sighting whales daily is from August to November, although whales start arriving as early as June and have been spotted as late as the end of January. At the seaside resort of Hermanus, armed with a kelp horn, a cellular phone, and clad in a sandwich board, is the world's only whale crier who obligingly reports the day's best sightings to eager tourists. Watch the whales from the shore at your own leisure, make use of one of the whale specialist guides around, watch them from the air in a small aircraft or make use of one of the licensed boat based whale watching operators. There are three types of whale likely to be spotted. They are the Southern Right whale (most common and largest), the Humpback and Bryde's whale. See the Map |
