WELCOME
HESSEQUA
WITSAND - SLANGRIVIER- HEIDELBERG - RIVERSDALE - VERMAAKLIKHEID - STILBAAI - MELKHOUTFONTEIN - JONGENSFONTEIN - ALBERTINIA - GOURITSMOND
THE ENTRANCE TO THE GARDEN ROUTE
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DISCOVER HESSEQUA'S 7 NATURAL MARVELS
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME
Hessequa – is a Khoi-khoi word meaning, people of the trees and refers to an indigenous tribe who lived within the area.
The region is linked to the Cradle of Human Culture, with the international renowned archaeological finds at the Blombos Cave (not open to the public) and the Ancient Fish Traps in Stilbaai as prime facilities. The specific findings include a piece of engraved ochre, which is the first known ochre engraving found in the archaeological record and dated to 75 000 years ago; “the oldest artist’s toolkit”, which is evidence of a 100 000-year-old ochre-processing workshop; “the oldest drawing (or hashtag)” dated to 73 000 years ago and some of the first evidence of body decoration, in the form of perforated estuarine shell beads.
Stilbaai form part of the Cradle of Human Culture Route, which includes several archaeological sites across the Western Cape, including the Cango Caves and Pinnacle Point
The archaeological gems of Stilbaai can be discovered through excursions by many of the South African tour operators.
Hessequa’s 7 Natural Marvels offers tourists the opportunity to create lifelong memories. This regions marvels are The Ancient Fish Traps, Sleeping Beauty Mountain Peak, Breede River, Annual Whale Migration, Champion Whispering Tree, Gourits River and Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve.
DISCOVER OUR WORLD
The marvellous Hessequa region is the entrance to the world famous Garden Route and is nestled in the shadow of the Langeberg Mountain, and in the embrace of the warm Indian Ocean, stretching from the magnificent Breede River in the west, and the majestic Gourits River in the east.
Hessequa is the half-way mark when you travel between Cape Town and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), with the N2 highway traversing through the region and is considered an affordable tourist destination, with no-where on earth experiences and packages, including secluded glamping facilities, luxury game lodge, a marvellous annual Whale migration and a UNESCO World Heritage Site indigenous forest.
Riversdale connects with the R62, through the scenic and well-maintained Garcia’s Mountain Pass, which offers wide-open spaces for international motorcycle enthusiasts and travel groups.
The Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is 3-hours from Hessequa, while the George Regional Airport (GRJ) is a mere 1-hour drive away.
Geocaching is a world-wide treasure hunting game, using a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity. Geocache enthusiasts can look forward to discovering many hidden caches along this stretch of the scenic Garden Route.
The Tourism Events Calendar reflects tourism events scheduled within the Hessequa Municipal area until June 2025. This allows visitors and residents to stay informed and plan accordingly. The latest version of the calendar can be downloaded clicking on the following text: HESSEQUA TOURISM EVENTS CALENDER
