On holidays to South Africa you definitely will have to include a trip to the danger point peninsula. The area (two hours drive from Cape Town) offers everything you might look for on holidays in South Africa such as whale watching, shark dinving, fynbos hikes, horse trails, wellness etc. etc.

We recommend that you have a good look around this website to find detailed destination information to plan your holidays to South Africa.

In the hinterland of the Danger Point Peninsula area, on the road from Gansbaai to the Moravian mission village of Elim. The Boesmansrivier (Bushmansriver) streams through the village. Baardskeerdersbos is a rural hamlet nestled at the spurs of the Koueberge and surrounded by several habitats of pristine fynbos vegetation.

The surroundings of Baardskeerdersbos are dotted with nature reserves, fynbos farms, cattle farms and vineyards. The "Fynbos Road" goes through Baardskeerdersbos. The "Fynbos Road" is the 100 km stretch from Stanford to Cape Agulhas and the expanding Agulhas National Park. It meanders through one of the richest areas of the Cape Floral Kingdom with the highest density of endemic and localised fynbos species.

The smallest and most eastern community in the Danger Point Peninsula area, located in what once must have been a place to hunt buffalo ("Buffalo-hunt-bay"). Buffeljagsbaai is practically one street and more or less immediately on the ocean. The people depend on the sea and apart from fishing earn money on the basis of the harvest of kelp.

A holiday park with a few cabins overlooking a secluded beach borders Buffeljagsbaai. Shipwrecks are sprinkled on the ocean floor around Quoin Point, slightly to the east of Buffeljagsbaai. Further to the east of Buffeljagsbaai is the Agulhas National Park continuing along the coast to Cape Agulhas, Africa's southern-most tip.

Pearly Beach is reached from Gansbaai via a road as straight as a laser. The road was as a matter of fact not built as a road but as an emergency landing strip for the airbase near Bredasdorp to the east. Pearly Beach is a residential place, built on a rocky outcrop along what arguably is one of the longest undisturbed sand-beaches in the Western Cape.

One can stroll for miles and only meeting a cape fur-seal or cape clawless otter that will reluctantly retreat in the sea when you come too close. Just outside the town is the habitat of the unique "limestone-fynbos" with some of the rarest plant species in the world.

Kleinbaai is a proper name for this place since the "baai" (Bay) is slightly "klein" (small). Yet this contributes to the charm of this seaside town on the east side of Danger Point Peninsula proper.

The small (of course) harbour of Kleinbaai is where the shark-boats and whale-watching boats are launched for their trips to Dyer Island and Walker Bay. From Kleinbaai one can stroll along the coast to the lighthouse at the tip of Dangerpoint.

A coastal town at the edge of the Uilkraal Estuary, a birding hotspot. The sand-beach at the edge of Franskraal is a popular place for beach lovers and home to the endangered black oyster catcher. On the other side of Franskraal, a small nature area, dominated by milkwoods, is accessible by means of a marked trail.

Directly on the Cliffs of Franskraal is the Strandveld Museum, housed in the oldest original "Strandveld house" of Franskraal. It is a privately owned museum, picturing the history of the area. It has the largest collection of relics from the unfortunate HMT Birkenhead that wrecked at Danger Point.

Blompark

Gansbaai ("Goose Bay") developed around a fresh water fountain frequented by wild geese. Later a harbour was built around the fountain. Gansbaai is an unpretentious fishing town. The harbour, where the fishing boats come and go and the fishing factory now and than creates the typical "Gansbaai-smell", is still the active centre-point of Gansbaai.

Gansbaai itself is the centre-point of Dangerpoint Peninsula. This is where you get your petrol, find the banks, the shops and medical assistance. Gansbaai is also the place were you'll find the Tourism Bureau, mid-way on main road; please do not hesitate to come into the office and to let us help you plan your visit around the Peninsula.

Masakhane was created during apartheid as a typical "township" in its original meaning. A few barracks were housing people working in the fishing industry. Masakhane ("Stand together'") is now a booming and growing community claiming its rightful place within Dangerpoint Peninsula and in the tourism-sector.

Various hand-made products are for sale and a guided tour through Masakhane is a mind-blowing experience. Masakhane is just outside of Gansbaai proper at the spurs of the Franskraal Mountains. Ancient milkwood-trees line the streets of Masakhane. A restaurant, the House of Thembu, serves traditional Xhosa meals under milkwood trees in the garden.

Where the Walker Bay Nature Reserve ends, De Kelders ("The caves") begins. It is a residential area stretched along the coast. The famous Klipgat Cave is the finding place of one of the earliest remains of modern man. The Klipgat cave, just over the border in the Walker Bay Reserve, is the beginning- or end-point (as you wish) of the Klipgat Trail, meandering over the cliffs of De Kelders to the harbour. The trail passes various caves and rock-pools and crosses a unique habitat of the rare coastal limestone fynbos vegetation.

Between August and December you cannot miss the southern right whales that mate, frolic and cruise within metres of the Cliffs of De Kelders.

This part of the Overberg is excellent horse country. Tar-roads are few and far in between and one can ride for miles without seeing any man-made item. Beaches along these shores are long and empty and beg for some serious gallops.

Operators take you on outrides of a few hours or trails of several days from beach to mountain. Horse guides are experienced riders with an intimate knowledge of the local nature.

Next to the famous Klipgat Trail along the coast between Gansbaai and De Kelders, there are several hiking trails along the coast and in the mountains in the hinterland.

Guided nature walks are also on offer on several nature estates, educating you about the medicinal values of the local fynbos plants or taking you up to stunning viewpoints on the highest mountain peaks. Special hikes are organised every month. Ask the tourism information offices for information.

wellness

The Dyer Island Group, a few km south of Dangerpoint Peninsula, is home to about 50'000 cape fur seals, a colony of African penguins and uncountable other sea-birds. No wonder, hundreds of Great White Sharks have decided that this is where they belong as well.

From Kleinbaai, a small natural harbour on Dangerpoint Peninsula, boats leave every morning to take travellers out to show them the Great White Sharks. Cages are lowered from the side of the boats to allow for a full eye-to-eye contact between shark and man. THE event on holidays to South AFrica!

4 x 4 trails cross through indigenous wetlands and forests and over mountain slopes to the top of the Franskraal Mountains offering the grandest of views over Danger Point Peninsula and the shoreline.

Guides will explain the features of the local flora and fauna and will point out special birds and plants.

The great variety of habitats in the Danger Point Peninsula area is the reason why there is such an enormous diversity of bird-life. Dyer Island and the several beaches harbour special and rare sea- and shore-species. The habitat of other birds can be found around the Franskraal estuary and the various dams, wetlands and lakes in the area. Fynbos-endemic-species populate the fynbos covered hills and plains and forest-specialised birds fly from forested gorge to coastal forests.

The sound of the fish eagle can regularly be heard throughout the area and a number of other raptor-species, including the enormous black eagle are residents of the area. In summer breeding couples of the endangered Blue Crane retreat from the fields to the sheltered mountains.

Meet a Sangoma, drink Umqombothi, see remarkable gumboot dances and learn about history and life in the peaceful and rural township of Masakhane.

Tours by accredited guides take up to 3 hours.

Between July and December the cliffs of De Keldders are arguably the best land based whale watching spot in the world when the southern right whales frequent our waters.

To experience these majestic creatures in their environment Whale-watching boats leave from the harbours of Gansbaai and De Kelders take you on a 2 hour boat cruise.

Dangerpoint Peninsula and its hinterland: an area ruled by the sea and floral abundance. A two hour drive from Cape Town and the perfect destination for holidays in South Africa.

Danger Point Peninsula lies exactly mid-way between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa. It is a two-hour drive from Cape Town along the N2, unless you wish to meander all the way along the coast, which takes three hours. Whatever route you take, you'll end up in an area historically ruled by the sea and dominated by unique nature. Unpretentious people live in the fishing town of Gansbaai and the other six villages and hamlets of Danger Point Peninsula and its hinterland.