From Bartholomeus Klip we look out over the Riebeek Valley where many wine and olive farms can be visited, as well as the house where Jan Smuts was born, now a museum. Half an hour away the charming restored village of Tulbagh is reached via a scenic pass winding through the mountains, and farther afield, Wellington, Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch have much to offer visitors, especially those interested in wine and food.
Along the West Coast, easily reached from Bartholomeus Klip, the West Coast National Park near the town of Langebaan is a mecca for birders and, in the springtime, for flower lovers. Also near Langebaan, the West Coast Fossil Park is one of the richest fossil sites in the world, with an open archaeological dig where the bones of extinct giraffes called sivatheres are clearly visible among a jumble of other fossilised bones. The small town of Velddrif has a bird hide and boardwalk overlooking the Berg River Estuary, a ‘hot spot’ for rare waders and waterbirds in general, and the nature reserve at Rocherpan nearby is renowned for wildflowers and whale watching as well as for its wide variety of bird species.
