To the Foot of Africa - 345km

HERMANUS

...is the heart of the popular Whale Route, and the town's 12-km-long Cliff Path offers one of the best shore-based whale-watching spots in the world. The southern right whales arrive in Walker Bay in June/July to calve and remain until November. Visitors are kept up to date about the latest whale sightings by the town's Whale Crier, the only one of his kind in the world. The coastline around Hermanus is characterised by numerous sheltered coves and bays, which are ideal for swimming and sunbathing.

Grotto Beach, at the town's eastern end, features a magnificent sandy beach. On the hills above the town, visitors can enjoy walking among the fynbos flora in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, which has 40 km of hiking trails. Not to be missed is a visit to the craftmarket  and the old stone harbour with its interesting museum, where you can listen to whale sounds transmitted from a sonar buoy offshore. From Hermanus to Gansbaai this tour follows the route through Stanford, De Kelders and Gansbaai.

BAARDSKEERDERSBOS

...is a quaint village with an intriguing name, which is literally translated as 'beard shaver's bush'. It was in fact named after a ten-legged arthropod known in English as a solifuge. The descriptive Afrikaans name, baardskeerder, refers to the mandibles of these spider-like creatures, which are reminiscent of the clippers used by barbers to cut hair and shave beards.

ELIM

This picturesque mission village, with its rows of whitewashed thatched houses, was founded in 1824 by the Moravian Church. It was named after the biblical oasis, with its 12 springs and 70 palm trees, where the Israelites made their second stop after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15:27). The mission station and houses are exceptionally well preserved, and the entire village has been declared a national monument.

All the roads in the village lead to the gabled, thatched church, which features an 18th-century clock acquired in 1914 from a church in Herenhut, Germany, from where the Moravian missionaries originally came. The clock faces on both sides of the gable are connected by a rod and operate from a single set of works. Also of interest is the slave monument, the only monument in South Africa to commemorate the freeing of the slaves in 1834.

The old water mill at the bottom of the church grounds dates back to 1838, and is the biggest wooden water wheel in the country. At the Old Mill Tea Room, visitors can sample Elim's famous mosbolletjies (dough leavened with a ferment of must) and biscuits baked with stone-ground flour from the mill.

STRUISBAAI

Originally a fishing village, Struisbaai has become a popular coastal resort and angling destination. The modest cottages at Hotagterklip serve as a reminder of the community's humble beginnings. The cottages, built about 90 years ago, feature thatched roofs, simple end gables and lime-washed walls. Struisbaai's main attraction is its 14-km-long beach, said to be the longest continuous stretch of sandy beach in South Africa, which offers safe swimming.

CAPE AGULHAS

The early Portuguese navigators named Africa's southernmost tip Cabo das Agulhas, or Cape of Needles, after noticing that their compass needles showed little magnetic deviation and pointed almost due north when passing this point. The dangers of this treacherous coastline prompted the construction of a beacon to warn mariners to stay clear.

The original Agulhas lighthouse, commissioned on 1 March 1849, stood 27 m in height and was built from limestone in the style of the ancient Pharos lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt. After 117 years' service, it was replaced by a new lighthouse commissioned in 1966. Appropriately, the old lighthouse has served as the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse Museum since 1994. The only one of its kind in Africa, the museum provides an account of the development of lighthouses through the ages and the history of the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse in particular.

Also on display are lenses, lanterns, gas burners and foghorns. About 1 km west of the lighthouse, the southernmost tip of Africa (34° 49' 58" south and 20° 00' 12" east) is marked by a cairn and plaque. L'Aghulhas is the southernmost town in Africa, and is a popular holiday destination, especially during the summer months.

AGULHAS NATIONAL PARK

This national park was proclaimed in 1999, primarily to protect the rich diversity of fynbos plant species occurring on the Agulhas Plain, the unique system of wetlands and their associated fauna, the scenic coastline and the rich cultural heritage of the area. The Agulhas Plain has approximately 2 000 species of indigenous plants, including 100 endemics. The initial core of the park includes Africa's southernmost point and the 97-ha area around the lighthouse.