Cape Overberg

The Cape Overberg district along the southern coast of South Africa is known for whales, wine, wild flowers, hot springs and adventure. Also known as the "Whale Coast", the most famous town in Hermanus. Other destinations in this area include: Caledon, Cape Agulhas, Gansbaai, Elgin and the Theewaterskloof Dam.

The Overberg in the Western Cape Province forms the southern-most area of Africa to the east of Cape Town. The boundaries of the Overberg are the Hottentots-Holland mountains in the West, the Riviersonderend Mountains in the North, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the South and the Breede River in the East.

Major towns in the region include Hermanus, Caledon, Swellendam and Cape Agulhas (the southernmost point of Africa).

The area has always been considered the breadbasket of the Cape and is largely given to grain farming, particularly wheat farming. The wheat fields are a major breeding ground for South Africa's national bird, the Blue Crane. The Overberg is also famous for the fruit produced in the Elgin Valley, the second largest supplier of fruit in South Africa.

Hermanus
 
Hermanus is built along the shores of Walker Bay near the Southern most tip of Africa. Magnificent mountains watch over the town which is home to hundreds of Southern Right Whales who come here to mate and calve. Nature lovers from all over the world visit Hermanus to view these magnificent creatures from the best land-based whale watching destination in the world.

The town of Hermanus was named after Hermanus Pieters, an itinerant teacher and sheep farmer. He first came to the Cape in the early 1800's, and settled in the Caledon district. He regularly brought his sheep to the coast for grazing and was soon joined by fishermen and holiday makers from the Cape. In 1902 the name of the little village was Hermanus Pietersfontein, which was later abbreviated to Hermanus.

The Old Harbour Museum is one of the cultural landmarks of the town, which has an outside display of an old sea wall, old fishing boats and reconstructed stone fishing huts. The inside display is of anything used for fishing in the early days and aquarium displays of locally caught specimens.  In the surrounding Hemel & Aarde Valley (Heaven & Earth Valley) just 2 km outside Hermanus you can embark on a tour of the Hermanus Wine Route. This area is fast making a name for itself for its magnificent renditions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay  Another attraction found here is Great White Shark Diving. This is one of the few places in the country where you can experience these predators in their natural environment.