Information on Hout Bay, Western Cape, South Africa

Conference Venues South Africa brings you information on Hout Bay situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa including information on history, location, geography, attractions.

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Hout Bay History

When the Dutch established a colony in Table Bay in 1652, they required a considerable amount of good timber for construction and other purposes. There were no large forests in the immediate vicinity of the settlement, mainly because the rainfall was not high enough. It was soon apparent that the colonists would be able to get the wood they needed in the wetter valley that lay on the other side of a low pass, called Constantia Nek between the southern end of Table Mountain and Constantiaberg. The area was originally made up of two farms, which were slowly subdivided to make way for urban expansion. While still maintaining its rural character the area now has more than 12 000 residences inhabited by a population of about 42 000 people.

Hout Bay Geography

Hout Bay is surrounded by mountain to the North, East and West and the Southern Atlantic Ocean to the South. In the North it is bordered by Table Mountain National Park comprising of the Orangekloof Nature reserve and the bottom slopes of Table Mountain beyond that. To the North-West it is bordered by the backside of the Twelve Apostles, known as the Oranjekloof. To the West it is bordered by Little Lion's Head, Karbonkelberg, Kaptein's Peak and the Sentinel. To the East it is bordered by the Vlakkenberg, Skoorsteenskopberg and Constantiaberg. The world famous Chapman's Peak Drive is carved out of the mountainside and leads towards Noordhoek and onwards to Cape Point.

The Hout Bay bay has a whitesand beach, a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. Hout Bay has one of the busiest harbours in the Western Cape with an established tuna, snoek and crayfish industry. The harbour is home to the Hout Bay Yacht Club and several restaurants.

There are three roads leading to and from Hout Bay, all over mountain passes. One goes to Llandudno and Camps Bay through the pass between Judas Peak, part of the Twelve Apostles, and Little Lion's Head. This pass is known as Suikerbossie, the toughest hill on the Cape Argus Cycle Race. Between Hout Bay and Noordhoek there is Chapman's Peak Drive, which was closed for many years and finally reopened in early 2004 with a controversial toll booth. Lastly a road leads to Constantia over the Constantia Nek pass between Vlakkenberg and the back slopes of Table Mountain.

Towns and Suburbs of the Western Cape province of South Africa

Arniston , Albertina , Bantry Bay , Bellville , Barrydale , Beaufort West , Bloubergrant , Bloubergstrand , Brackenfell , Caledon , Century City , Ceres , Camps Bay , Cape Town , Clanwilliam , Claremont , Constantia , Constantia Park , Darling, De Rust , De Waterkant , Durbanville , Fish Hoek , Franschhoek , Fresnaye , Gardens , Gordon's Bay , Gansbaai , George , Grabouw , Green Point , Greyton , Hout Bay , Hermanus , Kenilworth , Kleinmond , Knysna , Malgas , McGregor , Melkbosstrand , Milnerton , Morreesburg , Muizenberg , Montagu , Mossel Bay , Mowbray , Newlands , Noordhoek , Observatory , Oranjezicht , Oudtshoorn , Paternoster, Lakeside , Langebaan , Paarl , Parow , Pinelands , Plettenberg Bay , Prince Albert , Pringle Bay , Rawsonville , Robertson , Riebeeck West , Rondebosch , Stellenbosch , Somerset West , Simon's Town , Saldanha , Sea Point , Sir Lowry's Pass , Stanford , St Helena Bay , Strand , Swellendam , Table View , Tulbagh , Uniondale, Vermont , Vredendal , Wellington , Wilderness , Worcester , Worcester , Wynberg , Yzerfontein