Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay is a picturesque town in the Garden Route bordered by beautiful beaches. It's an excellent spot for whale watching and other eco-tourism activities, like boat trips and shark cage diving. It was here that Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Diaz arrived on the third of February in 1488.

The Diaz museum complex marks the spot of the historical landing of Diaz and also contains the famous Post Office Tree. This five hundred-year-old National Monument is found below an equally ancient milkwood tree, where seafarers of old would leave their post in an old boot.

The Maritime Museum houses a replica of the caravel on which Diaz arrived as well as a map of Mossel Bay produced by Dutch sailor Cornelius de Houtman in 1595. The museum is in the Old Saw Mill Building and chronicles the maritime history of the African continent. A worthwhile visit should be made to the lighthouse, which is a small walk away. You can also see a truly impressive range of seashells at the shell museum.

Gaze at magnificent San rock paintings, which can be seen in the Khoi-San Cave. There is also a replica of a Khoi village inside St Blaize Cave which is a must-see.