Beaufort West travel guide

This is the largest and oldest of the Central Karoo towns, but despite its history it is an unattractive place. Most of its energies seem devoted to servicing those travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town – the N1 passes right through town, lined with petrol stations and fast-food joints. It is known as the ‘oasis’ town, hard to believe when you see hot, dusty streets but, thanks to the presence of the Nuweveld Mountains to the north, its 150 mm annual rainfall is far higher than other towns in the Karoo. Beaufort West was named after the fifth Duke of Beaufort, father of the Cape governor, Lord Charles Somerset. It was established in 1818 to try and control gun smuggling and general lawlessness in the region. In 1837 it became South Africa’s first municipality. Before the railway reached the town in 1880, all of the locally produced merino wool had to be transported to the coast by wagon across the Swartberg Mountains. The earliest route was via Meiringspoort Pass , one of several magnificent passes which link the Great Karoo with the Little Karoo.

The country around Beaufort West is home to the largest variety of succulents in the world. In the town itself, there are more different species than in all of Great Britain. Pear trees – some of the which date back to the 1830s – provide welcome shade as you walk along the pavements. The Beaufort West Tourism Bureau 57 Donkin St, T023-415 1488, http://www.beaufortwestsa.co.za, Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200, is an efficient, well-run office and they have prepared some useful material on the region and its major sights.