Castle-On-The-Cliff, Western Cape - South Africa Accommodation

The Castle-On-The-Cliff is a rare experience. It is a private villa in a totally private nature reserve with its own private coastline- yet it is only a few minutes drive from Plettenberg Bay, its fine restaurants, sophisticated shops and wonderful beaches.

This nature reserve is covered with coastal Fynbos, the Cape's unique floral Kingdom.

To put this floral Kingdom into perspective, there are more plants and flowers in the Cape Fynbos Kingdom than there are plants in the whole of the British Isles and North America combined.

The Castle-On-The-Cliff is, in essence, a villa that is rented out to one group at a time for their exclusive use.

There are four luxurious master bedrooms - all with en-suite facilities overlooking the sea. In addition, there is another slightly smaller bedroom - suitable for children - which has private bathroom facilities close by.

There is also a more rustic bedroom out in the reserve, about 70 metres away from The Castle, that is suitable for more adventurous "sleep-outs". Other facilities include a barbecue wood fired pizza oven, swimming pool and a lounge with a wonderful view. No other villa along the Garden Route comes close in terms of style and atmosphere.

The walking on the estate is wonderful, and there is a wide choice ranging from gentle to adventurous. You can also swim in the deep rock pool, scramble over the rocks among the rock pools or simply lie in the sun watching the waves roll in. Access to the coastline below The Castle is through a cave - an adventure in itself.

Whales, dolphins and seals can be spotted in the sea directly beneath The Castle's terraces or living room windows. A family of sea otters lives in the dam alongside The Castle. Dassies, a type of large rabbit (directly related, strangely enough, to elephants) dart among the rocks and baboons visit the estate from time to time, but they are shy of humans. The estate is famous for its birds, particularly kestrels, eagles, brilliantly-coloured nectar feeders and the sea birds.

The Castle-On-The-Cliff is built above a vast coastal cave which was inhabited by Stone Age man for millennia. There is a collection of fascinating artefacts and stone age hand tools from the cave on display in the breakfast room. The fishing below The Castle is renowned and gillies are available.

One of the best activities in the area (at extra cost) is to join Ocean Blue Adventures on their whale and dolphin cruises out to sea. These trips depart each day from the main beach in Plettenberg Bay - and get guests into close proximity of whales, dolphins and seals.

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PLETTENBERG BAY:
Plettenberg Bay is the jewel of The Garden Route. It's more than a village; Plettenberg Bay is tranquil and charming, hospitable and rather special. Originally christened "Bahia Formosa" (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay can now be accessed by first class national roads, by sea or by scheduled air flights.

The Garden Route has a Mediterranean Maritime climate, with moderately hot summers, and mild to chilly winters. It is one of the richest rainfall areas, most of which occurs in the winter months, brought by the humid sea-winds from the Indian ocean. Any time of the year is good for visiting the area, depending if you enjoy a peaceful retreat during the winter months or a bustling holiday destination during the summer.

The great forests lying at the feet of the fabled Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountains are the gateway to the incredible indigenous African wealth of Plettenberg Bay, which lies on South Africa's spectacular south coast 210 kms from Port Elizabeth and +/- 600 km from Cape Town. The Outeniqua-Tsitsikamma indigenous forests are a unique mixture of Cape Fynbos and temperate forest and offer the nature lover world-renowned hiking trails and an exciting opportunity to see the last remaining forest elephants of South Africa. The entire area teems with birdlife. Nearly 300 species are to be found in the great variety of habitats ranging from fynbos to forest to wetlands.

No less than ten important nature reserves embrace the varied ecosystems of the area as well as unique marine reserves, home to soft coral reefs, dolphins, seals and a host of other marine life. The bay itself is Nursery to the endangered Southern Right Whale which come here to calve in the winter and spring (July to December).

The area is of course a sports paradise and boasts fabulous trails for hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders and canoeists. The highlight of the area is undoubtedly the rivers, beaches and the bay with its ideal conditions for all facets of watersports, including sailing in the safe waters of the Bay, superb rock and surf fishing and scuba diving spots.
Alternately one can simply stroll along its clean, sandy beaches stretching for miles along the Indian Ocean or enjoy its safe swimming areas. At night, Plettenberg Bay is alive with pubs, night-spots and fine restaurants. A wide range of accommodation offers luxury hotels, exclusive country retreats, cosy bed and breakfasts, self-catering chalets and excellent camping facilities.