Swellendam & The Overberg

The wrecks of some 130 seafaring craft – yachts, Spanish galleons, Dutch East Indiamen, the legendary Birkenhead, even modern-day fishing trawlers – have found a watery grave around the notorious ‘Cape of Storms’. Some have been immortalised in the names of Overberg towns like Arniston, while others are remembered only by the furniture, artefacts or figureheads given up by the capricious sea and preserved in South Africa’s only shipwreck museum at Bredasdorp. Gale-force winds still batter this stretch of coast that has been home to humans for more than 300 years, but these days it is a lot safer exploring the Overberg, sandwiched between the sea and the mountains and dotted with quaint towns rich in history.

The five regions of the Western Cape include the Overberg, the Klein Karoo, the Breede River Valley, the Winelands and the famous Garden Route. As you meander along the N2 from Cape Town, you will pass the road signs leading to almost all of these diverse regions, each offering a distinct and unique experience. Spend a day or two amidst the vineyards, or head south towards the coast and the windswept fishing villages of Bredasdorp and Arniston. Swellendam, a historical mecca, is perfect as either a well-positioned stopover between Cape Town and the Garden Route – or a longer visit, if you wish to explore Cape Agulhus and the surrounds.