Western Cape
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Photo
by Keith Young |
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on the image for larger version |
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The Western Cape is one of South Africa’s premier
tourist attractions, and for good reason. It is home to the famous Table
Mountain, vast winelands, magnificent beaches, world-class restaurants
and cosmopolitan entertainment haunts. The Cape boasts exquisite scenery
and a myriad of cultures and tourist treasures that are just waiting to
be discovered, so get going to the fairest Cape…
GETTING TO KNOW THE WESTERN CAPE
Thanks to its scenic beauty and many attractions, tourism is a major
and growing force in the Western Cape, which hosts over 50% of the country’s
international visitors.
Major attractions in the area:
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Photo
by Herman Potgieter |
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on the image for larger version |
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• Cape Point.
A stop at Cape Point gives the visitor the opportunity to boast of having
been at the most southern point of the Cape Peninsula. Some 26 shipwrecks
have been recorded at Cape Point, some of them presenting good diving
spots. A funicular takes visitors on scenic trips to an old lighthouse
and the spot is a bird watcher’s paradise.
• Table Mountain.
Cape Town’s most famous landmark – a quick spin by revolving
cable car to the 1 086m summit will give the visitor a grand view of one
of the most beautiful cities in the world, and of course the equally famous
South African `Alcatraz’ – Robben Island.
• Cape Fortress.
The oldest surviving building in South Africa, and well preserved too,
is the Castle of Good Hope, the pentagonal fortress built by personnel
of the Dutch East India Company back in the 1660s-70s. Today it houses
the regional headquarters of the South African Defence Force in the Western
Cape, and a military museum.
• Africa’s Most Southerly Point.
Cape Agulhus is the most southern point of South Africa with spectacular
views of the ocean. It is at this point that the Indian and Atlantic Oceans
meet.
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Photo
by Hein Von Hörsten |
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on the image for larger version |
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• The Klein Karoo.
One of the most geologically interesting parts of South Africa is the
Klein Karoo, with its towering mountains and sheer gorges. A notable geological
feature is the Cango Caves, a series of caverns and chambers naturally
hewn out of limestone, outside of the city of Oudtshoorn. These caves
are among the top ten most visited South African attractions.
Oudtshoorn itself, the heart of the ostrich feather industry when it
was at its zenith in the late 1800s/early 1900s, is worth a visit. The
grandiose, old feather palaces are still to be seen, while ostrich farms,
now involved in the commercial production of meat, leather, eggs and feathers,
can be toured, with the possibility of riding an ostrich. The town also
hosts an annual music and theatre fest – the Klein Karoo Kunstefees.
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