Falling within the Hessequa Municipal District, this region offers five other main towns along the Garden Route, namely:
Heidelberg, Riversdale, Stilbaai, Albertinia and Gouristmond. Each town offers a unique experience,
SO DISCOVER THEM ALL!
Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve – one of South Africa’s most well-preserved indigenous forests, offering mountain bike and hiking trails. The Reserve is 250-hectares in size and was declared a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Sleeping Beauty Day Hiking Trail - managed by CapeNature, this trail offers a 12km day trip to the crest of the Sleeping Beauty Mountain and back. Route 62 - Riversdale is a popular motorcycle and cycling destination within the Garden Route and connects with the R62 using the well-maintained Garcia’s Mountain Pass.
Cradle of Human Culture Coastal Route - the Blombos Caves and Fish Traps form part of the greater Cradle of Human Culture Coastal Route. Excavations in this area give away some of the secrets of the origins of man, as well as insight into the lives of the early Khoisan people. You can visit the Blombos Archaeology Museum for some of their findings.
Gourikwa Nature Reserve – offering diverse activities, which include 4×4 adventure drives, hiking and mountain bike routes, as well as fishing. There is also a Putt-Putt course and accommodation for those wishing to stay over.
Aloe Ferox - Albertinia is home to a large concentration of Cape Aloe, and they boast with two Aloe factories dedicated to the processing of Aloe for beauty and wellness products. Garden Route Game Lodge – have yourself an authentic African experience with the BIG 5, as well as a variety of reptiles and fauna and flora.
Bordering the Breede River and the Indian Ocean to the South, Witsand is fringed in by rolling canola and wheat fields, to the West, North and East, oozing laid-back beach and country charm.
In 1817 Port Beaufort was named by Lord Charles Somerset but it was only demarcated in 1831 when the governor of the Cape Colony granted 1419 morgen to the Port Beaufort Mercantile Establishment who proposed to establish a harbour there. The Barry’s used the port to establish a coastal trade between the Overberg and Cape Town, by the mid 1800’s it was flourishing.
Port Beaufort stopped functioning as a port when the company of Barry and Nephews was liquidated in 1866. Eventually in 1929 by a private act of parliament it became the property of Mr Alfred Barry. It was, however, subdivided and the pieces sold to different buyers in 1831.
Port Beaufort township borders directly on the township of Witsand, and the two places are unified as one town “Witsand”
Witsand was originally part of the farm Westfield, which was the property of Captain Benjamin Moodie. Westfield borders on the sea at St Sebastian Bay, and the earlier map of the southwestern corner of the farm was marked “Whitesands” because of the moving white sand dunes in that area. The Moodie’s allowed farmers and town folk to camp in the dunes during the holidays. Around 1900 they also gave permission to fishermen to erect cottages in that sandy stretch. When the demand for holiday homes increased the Moodie’s asked a surveyor to measure out plots in the area. Eventually they sold the plots and the “Whitesands” part of the farm progressively developed into a popular holiday resort.