South of the Cape Folded Mountains, from Cape Hangklip to Cape Recife, is the Southern Cape or Cape South Coast. The dominant underlaying structure is Table Mountain sandstone and from Mosselbaai eastwards the mountains shelve towards the coastline, forming high cliffs; to the west the land is more of a level coastal plain. There is a gradual increase in the height of the coastal platforms towards the east, indicating higher lift in that direction, that culminates in 200 metres high cliffs along the Tsitsikamma coast.
The Southern Cape can be further subdivided into the following physiographical regions, from west to east:
- The Rûens, also known as the Ruggensveld. It lies south of the Riviersonderendberg and east of the Houhoekberg; in the south it borders against the Duineveld and in the east ends near Bonnievale. The name is derived from the rolling hills formed of flaking shale from the Bokkeveld series.
- The Rooistrandveld stretches from Gansbaai in a southernly direction towards and possibly as far as Uilkraalsmond; it includes Elim and Baardskeerdersbos.
- The Duineveld is west of the Breede River and south of the Rûens; the name is derived from the dune sands on the surface, overlaying a limestone base.
- The Strandveld is the region from Cape Agulhas to Mosselbaai and includes the Duineveld; the towns of Bredasdorp and Riversdale are also within this region.
- The Tsitsikamma is from George in the west to Humansdorp in the east. The name is derived from tse-tsitsa (clear) and //gama (water). Other spellings include t’Sietsiekkamme, Sitsi Kamma, Zitzikamma and Sietsikamme.
Alongside these physiographical regions there are numerous administrative and (mainly) tourism regions in use, often causing unnecessary confusion, such as:
- The Garden Route (or “Tuinroete”), as used today, is of pure marketing origin and has absolutely no relation to the original meaning or of the area defined. According to Jan van Heerden of Prins Albert, the Garden Route, much-touted by all concerned with tourism along the Cape south coast, no longer exists. In Die Burger of 9th July, 2004, he wrote (translated):
The latest from the tourism industry is that the Garden Route stretches from Witsand and Heidelberg in the west to the Storms River in the east; for marketing purposes some have decided to also include Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp and Uniondale. This means that the Garden Route consist of parts of the Strandveld, the Tsitsikamma and the Little Karoo; not everyone in the tourism industry agrees on these broad boundaries, especially those within the newly assimilated areas.
Until 1944 the name applied to the road meandering through the woods between George and Storms River. It was named for the old-English tea gardens run mostly by old ladies, which were found about every 15 kms along the route in the rosegardens at Tudor style cottages. Travellers and country folk alike enjoyed refreshments in these tranquil tea gardens. Hot scones with fresh butter and jams were especially popular.
The “Garden Route” disappeared when the road cafes closed during the Second World War as petrol rationing drastically curtailed travelling by road.
To call a coastal road The Garden Route just for advertising purposes is a misnomer.
- The Overberg is mainly an administrative term that is currently used for the western part of the Rûens; it is also the name of the district municipality that includes Caledon and Bredasdorp, amongst others.