Charming, quaint Paternoster is one of South Africa’s oldest West Coast fishing villages. Historical buildings, warm hospitality, one of the most beautiful West Coast beaches and views are only a few of the reasons to visit Paternoster. The others include the lobster for which the town is famous, the white-washed fishermen’s cottages and the jagged cliffs and white boulders of the stunning coastline. A coastline off which whales, dolphins, seals and African Jackass penguins frolic. Lions, rhino and buffalo roam the nearby Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, while over 225 bird species including kelp gulls and pelicans soar above.

A mere 145kms from Cape Town, between Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay, Paternoster is small, in both size and population, but huge in terms of atmosphere and beautiful location.

Foodies are spoilt for choice as, despite its size, some famous South African chefs make their home in Paternoster, with excellent restaurants, some right on the beach, serving sublimely fresh and tasty seafood. Lobster, herring, mussels, snoek, oysters, and pilchards either caught in the cold Atlantic or farmed in the nearby Langebaan Lagoon. The lobster is so delicious that it is exported to France. A well-known delicacy is bokkoms – whole, salted, and dried mullet. Sometimes the fish is smoked, and Paternoster is the best place to try this ‘fish biltong’.  Thanks to the enduring traditional West Coast charm and lifestyle, everyday life in the village remains closely linked to the sea. Visitors can buy fresh catch from the market or directly from the fishermen who catch fish using the traditional wooden boats (bakkies).

Infrequent rainfall, dry countryside and high offshore winds have created a rugged and dramatically beautiful landscape covered in fynbos and fields of wheat in winter. It’s a landscape that every Spring – August to September – is enhanced, softened and enveloped in beauty when the famous Namaqualand wildflowers bloom. Brilliant blooms carpet hectare after hectare turning the landscape into a floral wonderland.

Close by is the Cape Columbine lighthouse, situated in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve which offers views over the Atlantic Ocean seen nowhere else. For the brave there is kayaking, kitesurfing, snorkelling, scuba diving in these cold waters. Families can enjoy kite flying, hiking and the long, beautiful beach.