Favourite places and things to do

1 DRIVE The R44 – Clarence Drive – is not only a means to an end but worth the petrol price for a scenic day out. There are lots of places along the route to pull over and admire the views, and perhaps you’ll even spot a southern right whale before they leave these coastal waters to return to the very deep south (close to Antarctica) where they spend the summer.

2 EAT The Whaling Station in Betty’s Bay is a popular place, where the view stretches all the way to Stony Point. Starters include dishes like beef carpaccio, mussel salad and tomato and gin soup; for mains there is a meat and fish selection, as well as pasta. Telephone 028 272 9238.

3 BEACHES These are the main attractions in this area. Among the 4km of Betty’s Bay are Silver Sands and Hangklip dunes, which lie to the west of Stony Point. Besides long walks at sunset, activities include kite surfing, picnics, swimming and surfing. Jock’s Bay and Shelly Beach, closer to Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, offer better paddling and shell-collecting opportunities. Kleinmond’s beach at the mouth of the lagoon – which feeds in fresh water – is an ideal location for paddle skis and boats and has some great spots among the rocks for angling.

4 NATURE Penguins and Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town come to mind, but Stony Point Nature Reserve in Betty’s Bay is home to another colony of African Penguins where visitors can see the birds up close, via the boardwalk through the colony, which allows you to observe them doing penguin things in their natural habitat, without disturbing or disrupting them. Telephone 021 483 0190.

5 HIKE From the Kogelberg Nature Reserve to Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, a moderate 6km hike, which is suitable for children, takes about four hours. Along the way, you’ll be able to see plants that are endemic and stunning views. Among the high points (so to speak) are the vista from the top, as well as a walk across the brink of the waterfall which takes you to the cliffs above Leopard’s Gorge. You’ll have to juggle two vehicles, however – one on either end of the hike; and make sure you allow enough time to reach Harold Porter before the gates close at 6pm. Telephone 028 271 5138.

Proteas in the foothills of the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, Bettys Bay.