Beaufort West in the Western Province of South Africa, lies on the N1 roughly 450 km N East of Cape Town The town lies south of a ridge of hills between two rivers, the Gamka and Kuils, and to the north the Nuweveld Mountains, with a peak of 1900m, in Winter they are regularly covered with snow. In 1827, David Baird, son of the local magistrate, found the first reptile fossil near the town of Beaufort in the Great Karoo. The little town was renamed Beaufort West in 1869. It lay in what became the world's richest collecting grounds for reptile fossils. Beaufort West is the oldest town in the Central Karoo and its municipality, proclaimed in 1837, is the oldest in South Africa. Heart-transplant pioneer Professor Chris Barnard, the town's most famous son, is honoured in the museum. It houses a display of awards presented to him and a replica of the original heart transplant theatre. Nearby is the Karoo National Park with Lions, Gemsbok, Cape Mountain Zebra and Ostrich and Springbok and Red Hartebeest to name a few.

On the N1 roughly 450 km N East of Cape Town.

An internet café can be found at Karushi shop/café in town. Tours are offered via the Tourism Office or Karoo Reisen in town. There are no car rental services in town. Camping is available at Steenbokke Nature Reserve or the Karoo National Park. (Jul-2012). There is a dentist. Airfield is private. Hospital no. given for public hospital. Doctor no. given for Dr Sieberhagen.

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