Witsand
Geography and History
Situated on the banks of the Breede River estuary, Witsand (Western Cape) is home to 4-km of white, sandy beaches, surrounded by a magnificent variety of Cape Fynbos species and the Breede River. The town is known as the Whale Nursery of South Africa due to the high concentration of Whales in the bay between June and November. Witsand is an authentic water-sport and adventure destination with Kite-Surfing, Surfing, Stand-Up Paddle Boarding and Fishing as top visitor experiences.
Witsand is a regarded as a hidden gem within the Western Cape and the Garden Route and is one of the Hessequa regions (branded as The Explorer’s Garden Route) best kept secrets.
Activities
Being the “Whale Nursery of South Africa”, Witsand offers fantastic whale watching opportunities! This area has the largest concentration of Southern Right whales to be found in a single bay - every year between July and November. Witsand boasts the first Whale Watching Tower on the Garden Route. Land based whale watching is also great with over a 100 whales in the bay in one day, sometimes as close as 100 metres from the shore!
Other activities in Witsand include the fishing along the Breede River as well as rock fishing along the beach.
Water sports such as swimming, surfing, windsurfing, river cruises, canoeing, sailing, spear-fishing, snorkelling and skiing can all be enjoyed. Water-skiing on the Breede River is allowed beyond the 5D-mark, where the Slang River flows into the Breede River, towards Malgas.
ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCES
- Land-based Whale Watching
- Fishing
- Spasie Rum Distillery
- The Woolshed
- Witsand Nature Reserve
Accommodation
Good quality accommodation in the way of Guest Houses, Cottages and Self-Catering can be found in Witsand.
Restaurants
There are some fine restaurants where visitors can enjoy a tasty meal or catch of the day!
INFANTA is a small holiday resort and fishing village situated on the western side of the Breede River. Access to Infanta is along a gravel road that turns off the N2 just west of Swellendam. There is a slipway for launching powerboats at Infanta and a rocky shoreline with good diving and angling spots. Witsand is accessible via crossing the Breede River by your own boat / canoe or via the Malgas pont.
Activities in and around Infanta include: Bird watching along the Breede River , where the majestic Fish Eagle, the Osprey, Fish Owl, Kingfisher, Oyster Catcher, the Blue Crane and an amazing variety of other birds can be seen. Fishing is of course one of the most popular activities. Sought-after species of fish such as Cob, Spotted Grunter and Garrick are caught in significant numbers.
Infanta offers a selection of accommodation such as lodges, guest houses and self-catering.
Witsand Tourism Office Information | |
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Web address: | https://explorersgardenroute.co.za |
Telephone: | 028 713 7953 |
E-mail: | info@explorersgardenroute.co.za |
Address: | Hessequa Tourism (The Explorer’s Garden Route) C/O President CR Swart Str & Heidelberg Way Riversdale, 6670 |