Still_Bay

Stilbaai

Stilbaai

Place in Western Cape, South Africa

Stilbaai, also known as the Bay of Sleeping Beauty, is a town along the southern coast of South Africa about four hours by car from Cape Town. It is part of the Hessequa Local Municipality in the Western Cape province.

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The town is one of the most visited coastal destinations within South Africa, and home to many travellers experiences. The Goukou River and warm Indian Ocean are some of the most prominent natural features. As part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the town also holds great Fynbos diversity.

History

Stilbaai is host to a number of interesting archaeological sites, including ancient fish traps thought to have been built by early ancestors of the Khoi people of the Southern Cape, and a shell landfill that has been carbon dated to around 1000 BC.

Another archaeological site is situated in a group of caves at Blombos cave, about 12 kilometres from Stilbaai. Artifacts found at Blombos have been carbon dated to around 77,000 BP, making it the oldest known human settlement today.

Geography

Climate

Stilbaai has a temperate climate and receives almost the same amount of rainfall in all four seasons, with peaks in autumn and spring. Temperature averages between 20 and 28 °C in the summer and between 12 and 20 °C in the winter. Rainfall is 639.2 mm per annum on average.[2]

Parks and greenspace

Stilbaai owns a large selection of nature reserves. To the east is Pauline Bohnen Nature Reserve, a large reserve with various hiking routes. The Skulpiesbaai Nature Reserve is situated near the harbour and reaches up to the "Noordkapperpunt" fishponds. The Geelkrants Nature Reserve is situated next to the "Pulpit".

  • A view of the Goukou River that separates the eastern and western halves of Stilbaai.
  • Stilbaai, viewed from the lookout above the harbour.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Main Place Stilbaai". Census 2011.
  2. [2]
    Die Burger 1996. Visited 7 January 2012
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