Heart of the Whale Route - 310km

An area of 2 200 ha to the northeast of the town has been set aside as a municipal nature reserve, and can be explored along a network of walks and trails ranging in duration from 30 minutes to three hours. The 14-km-long Boesmanskloof Hiking Trail between Greyton and McGregor is a popular day trail.

GENADENDAL

...was founded by missionary George Schmidt in 1738 to minister to the Khoi people. Originally known as Baviaanskloof, the name was changed to Genadendal (Valley of Grace) in 1806. The first Moravian mission station in South Africa, the village is centred around the historic Church Square, dominated by the mission church built in 1891.

All the buildings around the square were declared national monuments in 1980, and among these are the first church (1795), old mill (1796), church bell (1798) and several school buildings. The history of the mission station is depicted in the Mission Museum, housed in a building (built in 1838) which served as the first teachers' training college in South Africa. Just south of the town is the Beinbrecht Bridge, completed in 1820 under the guidance of the Moravian missionary JD Beinbrecht.

The original bridge was supported by five massive stone pillars, three to four metres in height and measuring 3,6 m in diameter at the base. After a flood in 1822, the height of the pillars was increased by two metres. The 25,3-km-long Genadendal Hiking Trail winds through the Riviersonderend Mountains, and takes two days to complete.

CALEDON

...is the centre of an agricultural area noted for its production of wheat, onions, wool and barley, the latter processed into malt for the beer industry. The town is home to the largest malt producer in the country, with an annual output of around 140 000 tonnes. Caledon originally developed around a hot spring (38° C at source) that has attracted visitors since the 17th century and now forms part of a major casino development.

The Caledon Museum, housed in a Victorian building, takes as its the theme the Victorian era (1837–1901). Among the town's historic buildings are the Anglican Church (1855) and the beautiful Victorian houses along Mill Street. The Caledon Wildflower Garden and Reserve covers 56 ha of landscaped indigenous gardens, water features and lawns, as well as 158 ha of natural fynbos vegetation on the slopes of the Swartberg.

Caledon is famous for its wild flower show, held in September each year. First staged in 1892, the event is the largest of its kind in South Africa, with over 600 fynbos species on display.

HEMEL-EN-AARDE VALLEY

Bounded by the Onrus Mountains and the western outlier of the Kleinsrivier Mountains, this beautiful valley lies in the folds of the course carved by the Onrus River. It was in this valley, with its cool maritime climate, that Timothy Hamilton Russell established Africa's southernmost vineyard in 1976. Since then, Bouchard Finlayson, Whalehaven and Cape Bay Wines have also established themselves in the valley.