False Bay is a massive bay in Cape Town stretching from Hangklip to Cape Point. By car it's about 120 kilometres from one end to the other. A Sunday drive along this route on a clear and sunny day holds plenty of sights and sounds to discover, and during whale season from June to November the drive is a whale spotting hotspot!
But what on earth made this beautiful body of water so untrue that it was given the name 'False' Bay? Well, the seafarers of years ago sailed around the African coastline on their way to and from India forming part of the Spice Route. This journey took them around Cape Point and Hangklip.
Cape Point and Hangklip are very similar in shape and from a distance they can easily be confused with each other. Coming back from India, the seafarers thought they were rounding Cape Point, when in fact they were only rounding Hangklip! They would sail into False Bay, realise it's not where they should be and then continue onwards to find Cape Point still waiting for them! So, the name False Bay was given!
The Cape Town Experience crew
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