STILBAAI - BROCHURE

Stilbaai is situated on the South African Garden Route, 26 km from the N2 main road between Mossel Bay and Riversdale at an estuary where the Goukou River meets the Indian Ocean.

The nearest national airport is at George, 150 km from Stilbaai. It has its own landing strip for small aircraft and a small fishing harbour.

The weather is ideal for holiday making with moderate temperatures, and beautiful sunny days.

Stilbaai is one of the sought-after tourist destinations on the Garden Route and its popularity is ever-increasing. Although developing and expanding rapidly the city management maintains well-balanced commercial interests and keeps its natural environment preserved. It maintains its characteristics as a pollution-free, safe and peaceful destination.

Stilbaai has long stretches of white sandy beaches, mild weather and a river that is navigable for 15 km. The beaches as well as the beautiful and safe lagoon excellently lends itself to holiday sports such as swimming, sailing, snorkeling, diving and surfing, while angling for shad and white steenbras is the favourite pastime of the more patient.

It has a number of nature reserves in close proximity.

Multihued kiosks vending anything from delicious calamari to bright and lively attire line the streets during the holiday season.

For close on two hundred years Stilbaai has been attracting people to its shores. It’s limestone area with plenty of natural springs, provided an ideal habitat for ancient man, while it’s beauty, safety and harmony has continued to attract both holiday makers and settlers, alike.

There are extensive sporting facilities available for all those who love to be active. Golf, bowling, tennis and squash courts and lots of walking trails.

Stillbaai has a well organized business sector which provides for all your shopping needs. For those who just have to stay in touch with the office, Stilbaai is linked world wide via well developed information technology.

SPECIAL INTERESTS AND ATTRACTIONS

Water sports, fishing, angling and scuba diving.

Scores of Southern Right whales frolic in the placid waters of the bay. Stillbaai is part of what is traditionally known as the Whale coast, stretching from Witsand to Gouritz Mouth and has the highest gathering of whales in the world between July and October. The watching point above the harbour is an excellent spot.

Historical and architectural heritage: Strandveld architecture can be seen in the quaint fisherman’s village of Melkhoutfontein. Arts and crafts can be purchased from the well known Soete-Arbeid Craft Shop.

National monuments, Palinggat and Jagersbosch, can be seen in the centre of town.

The marine life of the area offers unsurpassed experiences. It is home to South Africa’s only tame eel population, viewed in their natural habitat. Hand feed tame eels at the Tourism Office at 11.00am daily, except Sunday.

Botanical Gardens and the Pauline Bohnen Reserve are unique areas of great floral wealth. Flower routes, particularly Soete Inval Botani Gardens offer stunning floral displays from July to October. The whole area is dominated by Coastal Fynbos with a variety of species, including Wild Olives, Candle and Milkwood and numerous Proteas.

Rein’s Nature Reserve. There are hundreds of bird species, making this a bird watchers paradise.

Hiking trails linking the past with the present in a spectacular scenic environment.

The opportunity to view the whales, eels and floral displays all at the same time, is unique in South Africa.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY

ALBERTINA

Hike along breathtaking trails through Rein’s Nature Reserve at Gouriqua, or visit the wine cellars of Langeberg. Enjoy a game drive in an open Land Rover with the Garden Route Game Lodge, you may spot one of the “Big 5”, or be daring and bungi jump or bridge swing from the Gourits River bridge. The bridge is about 14km outside Albertina and you can participate every day from 09.00 am.

The village of Albertina was named after the Rev. J.R. Albertyn and it retains much of its character as an 18^th and 19^th century outpost.

The rich diversity of proteas, everlastings, grasses, aloes and the well known Albertyn Erica (Erica Bauera) provides a flourishing dried flower industry.

The Alcare Aloe Factory is the only one in South Africa that produces gel and a bitter powder from the leaves of the Aloe Ferox plant. Tours through the factory show the procedure from powder to container.

The Albertina Hotel is well known for its tasty food.

You can go to the library to browse. If you are feeling more energetic, visit the 9-hole golf course.

HEIDELBERG

This country town is set on the banks of the Duivenhoks River and offers great beauty and real country hospitality. 

A lovely Dutch Reformed church, in gothic architecture, forms the hub of the town.  From here you can visit the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve in the Langeberg Mountains, or journey into the Small Karoo.

The nature reserve is about 22km Northwest of Heidelberg and comprises 250ha of forest. This indigenous forest is the most noteworthy in the South Western Cape and the largest remaining example in the Langeberg. It is the only home of a sub species of the ghost frog and the forest butterfly.

MOSSEL BAY

This coastal village and harbour is the historical capital of the Garden Route. This is a popular and busy summer holiday destination, as well as a winter retreat. It is blessed with a mild climate all year ro und.

Well travelled pleasure boats and other international seafarers use the modern docking facilities of Mossel Bay harbour, making it an ever growing holiday destination.

Back in 1488 Bartholomew Dias dropped anchor in the Bay of St Blaise or “Aguada de Sao Bras” as it was originally known. The town then developed into a busy export harbour for wool, ochre and ostrich feathers. There are many beautiful historical buildings in the town, testament to it’s long history. In 1601 Dutch navigator Paulus van Caerden renamed the town Mossel Bay, as he found the mussels in the area a welcome addition to his crew’s diet. Today, mussels gathered in Mossel Bay each spring, are rated by gourmets among the finest in the world.

There are many museums in the town to visit.

The Maritime Museum focuses on the sailing ships of earlier days and is home to the life size replica of Bartholomew Dias’s caravel, the ship in which he sailed to Mossel Bay in 1488. 

The Granery Museum houses a permanent display of fresh specimens of the wild flowers found in the area. 

The Shell Museum houses a very large collection of shells, and demonstrates how they were used by early man as tools. 

The Cultural History Museum has many artifacts of historical importance from the area. 

Many of these museums are in the town’s historical buildings, but there are others, such as the Shirley Buildings, the Munrohoek Cottages which may be visited. One of the most popular attractions is the Post Office, which is estimated to be more than 800 years old. This has been declared a National Monument. It is underneath this Milkwood tree where Pedro d’Ataide left a letter in 1500, in a seaman’s boot for passing ships. Letters are still posted there today, in a seaman’s boot! 

If you are into water sports, there are some of the country’s most adrenalin induced activities available such as shark cage diving, ship wreck diving, snorkelling, power boating and others.