Board shorts, flip-flops and an appetite for adventure are all you need when heading to the West Coast of Cape Town. Caro Malherbe looks at what the area has to offer.
About the West Coast
Half an hour’s drive from Cape Town CBD, starting at Blaauwbergstrand, is where the West Coast of Cape Town begins. From here, visitors are treated to postcard views of Table Mountain and Robben Island.
According to Cape Town Tourism, the region’s large dunes, windy seas and vast open areas of fynbos make it renowned for adventure activities such as kite boarding, surfing, skydiving, hiking and sandboarding. Restaurants in the area are generally casual and family-orientated, offering a variety of steak, pizza and fresh seafood establishments that have views of the ocean and, during whale calving season, the West Coast is host to plenty of mother and baby whales, offering great opportunities for whale-spotting.
“The West Coast is full of adventure, while remaining convenient and accessible. An excellent choice for families, the area offers endless beach walks and lots of easy-going amusements at great value,” says Cape Town Tourism Executive Marketing Manager, Velma Corcoran.
The MyCiti bus runs a service all along the West Coast, connecting Atlantis to the city of Cape Town.
Things to see and do
- !Khwa ttu San village
Descendants of the first indigenous people of southern Africa, the San, will take visitors on a journey into their history, traditional knowledge, skills, languages and customs and share their ancient knowledge about oral history, tracking animals and identifying plants at the !Khwa ttu San Education and Culture Centre located on a farm near Yzerfontein.
The guides will teach visitors words in their languages and enlighten them about recent achievements in obtaining their rights to land and intellectual property. The San-guided experience provides a unique opportunity to listen to accurate accounts of the past and present lives of the San.
For more information, click here.
- Discover the West Coast with Thompsons Africa
The ‘Go West My Friend’ self-drive package from Thompsons Africa starts in Cape Town, with a drive through Bloubergstrand and along the coastal route to Paternoster, one of South Africa’s oldest fishing towns, famous for its crayfish. The trip then goes on into the heart of the Namaqualand to Springbok, the ‘flower capital’.
Not only does this tour give an authentic insight into the West Coast, but it takes guests as far as crossing the Namibian border and on to the Fish River Canyon, before heading back via the Cedeberg Wilderness area, ending in Cape Town.
For more information, contact info@thompsonsafrica.com
- Mother City SkyDiving
Not for the faint-hearted, the new skydiving drop zone launched on the West Coast, offers one of the most scenic views while falling hundreds of feet from the sky. Twelve kilometres north of Malmesbury, Mother City SkyDiving provides a pick-up and drop-off service with its transportation partner from Cape Town CBD, the V&A Waterfront, Stellenbosch and Paarl.
For more information, click here.
- The West Coast Fossil Park
Travel back five million years at the fossil site in the West Coast Fossil Park, where visitors can see exceptionally well-preserved fossil faunal remains that date to the terminal Miocene/early Pliocene about 5.2 million years ago.
A national and international team of researchers are currently unravelling the fascinating and unique history of fossils from the West Coast Fossil Park and attempting to recreate the environment and climate of the west coast some five million years ago. At this time many animals that are now extinct, such as sabre-tooth cats, short-necked giraffes, hunting hyenas and African bears, roamed the West Coast, which then had a more subtropical climate with lush, riverine forests and open grasslands.
For more information, click here.
- High-Five Cape Town kite surfing
The West Coast is the most well known and popular area for kite surfers and wind surfers in Cape Town. The prevailing wind in summer is from the south-east, and is named the ‘Cape Doctor’ (or ‘die Kaapse dokter’ in Afrikaans) by the locals, due to its strength and persistence.
High Five Cape Town offer kite surfing lessons and rentals daily.
For more information, click here.
- Sandboarding Cape Town
Sandboarding is a great new adventure sport that is particularly enjoyed along the West Coast of Cape Town, with its vast sand dunes. All it takes to sandboard is a positive attitude, a splash of sunscreen, a few basic instructions and visitors will be blasting down a sand dune. Sandboarding Cape Town offers sandboarding tours into the dunes with its 4x4.
For more information, click here.
- Melkbosstrand
In Melkbosstrand, visitors can picnic on the grass next to the beach or fish from the popular fishing spot, Slabbert se Klippe. There is a slipway to launch boats from under the watchful eye of the NSRI.
- Blaauwberg Nature Reserve
Sandy beaches, a rocky coastline and fynbos form the backdrop to the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, where visitors can hike within the view of Table Mountain, while spotting bird, plant and reptile species. They can picnic or braai (barbecue) alongside the beautiful beach at Eerstesteen braai spots. The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve also offers hiking trails and bird hides for avid birdwatchers.
For more information, click here.
West Coast cuisine
- moyo Blouberg
A unique African dining experience, inspired by the traditions and values of African ancestors, moyo is a celebration of, and commitment to, the beauty of Africa, and the industry of her people. Located along the unspoiled shores of the West Coast, moyo at Eden on the Bay is inspired by the natural rhythms of the Atlantic Ocean, with views of Table Mountain and Robben Island.
The menu offers a taste of the continent with dishes inspired from various African countries, including local South African favourites.
For more information, click here.
- Strandkombuis Yzerfontein
The West Coast is known for its fresh seafood, caught daily by local fishermen and Strandkombuis’s seafood buffet is as fresh as it gets. The open-air restaurant is also often used as a wedding venue, situated right on the beach of the small West Coast village of Yzerfontein. This is a great place to bring the kids, as they can play in the sand and run around on the beach.
Some items offered in the buffet include West Coast mussels, prawns in garlic butter, tender fried calamari, yellowtail fillets, warm smoked snoek, freshly baked breads and koeksisters.
For more information, click here.
- Die Strandloper
Die Strandloper, an open air, casual restaurant with sand underfoot and blue skies above, lies at the water's edge of the Langebaan Lagoon. To the accompaniment of live traditional guitar music, meals are served in individual courses extending over a three- to four-hour period. The central focus is an open braai area where everything from black mussels in wine to coffee is on offer. Some traditional West Coast specialities on offer include fish curry, grilled haarders, smoked angel fish, snoek with sweet or steamed potato and waterblommetjie bredie.
For more information, click here.
Where to stay
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- Rockhaven Guesthouse
You can’t get closer to the beach than Rockhaven Guesthouse on the Blaauwbergstrand promenade, offering views of Table Mountain, Robben Island and the great Atlantic seas. All bedrooms are en-suite with lounge areas, WiFi and private beach access. The guesthouse is close to all West Coast attractions and within walking distance of popular beach-front restaurants. Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis.
For more information, click here.
- Atlantic Beach Hotel
The four-star boutique Atlantic Beach Hotel in Melkbosstrand is 300 metres from the beach. This privately owned and independently managed hotel was established in 2009 and is decorated in rustic and muted tones reflecting the hotel’s beachside location.
The Atlantic Beach Hotel offers guests 36 spacious en-suite bedrooms and two suites. Facilities include The Belon Bar and Restaurant, The Belon Terrace, a conference centre with three flexible venues, a business centre with Internet and complimentary WiFi throughout the hotel.
For more information, click here.
- The Oystercatcher Lodge
Just off the R27 West Coast road, is an exquisitely beautiful place filled with exceptional character and breathtaking natural beauty. This unique seaside haven is called Shelley Point and it is here where you will find the Oystercatcher Lodge.
The lodge offers all guests sea-facing en-suite rooms, with breathtaking views Atlantic Ocean from their bed. Suites are spacious and stylish, with the added options of a honeymoon suite as well as a room that is wheelchair friendly.
All rooms have private balconies, extra length beds and overhead fans. The Oystercatcher Lodge also has the option of luxury self-catering holiday apartments.
For more information, click here.
