Stillbay or Stilbaai (Afrikaans), also known as the Bay of Sleeping Beauty, is one of the most beautiful holiday destinations on the fascinating Whale Coast between Cape Agulhas and the beginning of the Garden Route. The wide white sandy beaches and the clean waters at Stillbay offer perfect conditions for every kind of water sport.
A fascinating climax will doubtlessly be Stillbay´s stone age civilization of the Strandloper Hottentots. In the 1920´s the anthropologist Christoph Heese discovered spear points from the middle stone age at Noordkappershoek, 6 km west of the Goukou estuary. In 1972 the 2000 year-old skeleton of a Hottentot Strandloper was found intact. It had been embedded in the sand near the estuary for thousands of years, suffering hardly any damage. Only recently have further finds been made in the caves between Stillbay and Jongensfontein.
Another cultural heritage is found in the fish traps, built by the Strandlopers of the middle stone age and dependent on the tides. At low tide they can be seen near the harbor or at Noordkapperspunt on the Noordkapper Trail. These traps are a clever way to catch fish and local fishermen keep them intact. There are deliberations and first steps to establish a museum of the natural, archaeological and historic heritage of Stillbay and its surroundings. Representations have been made to the National Monuments Council´to have the Noordkapperspunt fishing harbor declared a cultural heritage site. |
|
 |
 |
| Away from the Garden Route - Stillbay |
|
