When travelling from Cape Town towards Hermanus one passes the lovely
little town of Grabouw with its apple orchards lining the road
About 10 kilometres east of Grabouw you come across
the Houw Hoek Inn which was established way back in the 1840's
a stopover for people travelling to and from Cape Town
These days it is a three star hotel and is well known for
its hospitality and as a weekend getaway in the country.
The inn has a very large bluegum tree growing just outside
it's front door which towers over the hotel complex.
Leaving the Houw Hoek Inn we arrive at the little town of
Botriver. It's a small farming town in the wheatlands
of the Garden route.
It also has a small hotel which serves lovely traditional
meals on a Sunday. Foods such as pumpkin, sweet potato
and roast beef and pork.
As you approach Botriver you drive down the Houw Hoek
mountain pass and can see a wonderful patchwork of
fields of all shapes and colours.
This is the start of the splendour of the Garden route to the east.
Bot River Lagoon
The Bot River flows through the little town into a large lagoon
to the south of the town.
The Arabella Sheraton group have established a golfing estate
and health spa for those who are able to afford the luxury
on the north eastern bank of the lagoon.
Across the lagoon to the south is the small village of
Fisherhaven where many people have built holiday homes.
For some unknown reason this area has not taken off
although it has the potential to do so.
Boating is allowed but one has to be careful when the south winds
comes up as the water becomes quite choppy.
There are fish in the lagoon and it is open to the sea from
time to time allowing salt water fish to enter.
The lagoon has prawn beds and is also a haven for wild birds.
When we visited the area a couple of days ago there were flamingoes
feeding in the shallows along the banks and there were a number
of cormorants drying themselves as well.The edges of this lagoon have been left in their natural state
with the local fynbos growing on the banks.
Mouth of the Bot River Lagoon
A short way along the coast to the east from the mouth of the
lagoon is Hawston a fishing village which has been in the news lately.
The seas off this village are rich in abelone and it is here
that the poachers are doing their damage.
There are many gang wars and shootings as the poachers
have their turf wars.
The police have climbed in and arrested a number of the
poachers and these have had their assets seized by the
Assets Forfeiture unit.
Those who are convicted have lost their assets as well
as receiving jail sentences.
Between Hawston and Hermanus to the east are a number of small
coastal villages. People have built their beach cottages in them
and the growth of this area has become quite phenomenal.
What used to be one horse towns now have large supermarkets
and shopping malls where the locals cater for themselves
and the many tourists that pass through.
The beach at Vermont
The coastline is very rocky and is the home to abelone,
and crayfish. The abelone and crayfish live in the kelp beds
that hug the coastline in the area.
This part of the western Cape is a very popular holiday
destination, so much so that when the whales arrive in April
one has difficulty getting in and out of Hermanus.
Would you like to visit this part of the Western Cape when you have your next holiday or vacation in Cape Town.
Click the link below and let us know how many and when you are interested in doing the day tour. A tour to Hermanus is just a phone call away so don't delay.
We look forward to hearing from you and showing you around Hermanus, the Cape and South Africa.
