Malgas

Malgas and surrounding areas

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BREEDE RIVER HOUSE - MALGAS - BREEDE RIVER - WESTERN CAPE

MALGAS

The little village of Malgas is 3 hours drive from Cape Town, and 30 minutes from Swellendam and is perfectly situated for exploring the Overberg as well as the
De Hoop Nature Reserve. This historic little village sits on the west bank of the Breede River, which is one of the largest rivers in the country and which supports a significant variety of fish and birds,
Malgas was originally an important inland harbour but over the years it has become forgotton and generally bypassed by tourism. But today, it is once again getting the attention it deserves and is remembered mostly as the town with the last surviving hand-driven river pont in operation in the country. The pont, or pontoon, is a link with a nostalgic time when Dutch settlers used to build floats that they took with them as they trekked across the country. One can still cross the Breede River by pont between the east and west banks at Malgas today.

The area is a paradise, particularly for fishing and bird watching, as the estuary of the Breede River sustains an abundance of fish, including Cob, Spotted Grunter and Garrick, and attracts fish eagles, ospreys, fish owls and kingfishers. Along with the serene beauty of the surrounding mountainous and fynbos covered hills, Malgas lives up to its reputation as a peaceful
holiday escape.

Breedekloof Wine Route, Breede River Valley

This is the youngest wine route in South Africa and, just 1 hour from Malgas, the Breedekloof wine route lies in the Breede River Valley, which stretches from Gouda in the west, McGregor in the south, Montagu in the east and the Tankwa-Karoo National Park in the north. Wine in this region was initially produced by co-operative cellars that focused primarily on producing sweet wines in bulk. Today individual wine growers create award winning red, dry white and sweet wine varieties and there are some 23 cellars to visit and scenery to take your breath away.

Route 62, which markets itself as the longest wine route in the world, includes the Breedekloof on its wine routes.

AGULHAS NATIONAL PARK

Lying in what is known as the Agulhas Plain at the southernmost tip of Africa is the Agulhas National Park, just 45 kilometres from the popular village of Gansbaai. As well as being the meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Agulhas National park is on some of the most splendid examples of lowland fynbos on limestone soils, which is considered endangered and restricted largely to the southern Overberg. Other highlights of a visit to the Agulhas National Park include the cairn that marks the southern-most tip of Africa, the lighthouse at Cape Agulhas, the graveyard of ships that lie just off the coast once known as ‘the Cape of Storms’, where some 250 ships have been wrecked over time, and whale watching during the winter months from July to October.