The Western Cape occupies the southernmost tip of the African continent. It extends east from Cape Town bordering both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans along South Africa's south coast to Plettenberg Bay and north from Cape Town along the Atlantic coast. Among other notable areas, it encompasses the Winelands and a portion of the Garden Route. We traveled by automobile from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay with brief stops or overnights in Stellenbosch, Arniston (Waenhuiskrans) and Swellendam.

The coast of South Africa along the Indian Ocean is beautiful, often spectacular. The water is warm, the beaches are sandy and the surf can be high. We experienced abnormally strong winds during our stay, producing high surf in the Plettenberg Bay area. Further up the coast, the city of Durban experienced severe beach erosion, the result of waves as high as ten meters.