The West Coast of South Africa is almost startlingly different to the rest of the country and for that reason is well worth exploring. With a number of National Parks, and game reserves, the West Coast is able to match any wildlife enthusiast’s need for spending time among the fabulous wild creatures for which South Africa is famous.
The West Coast National Park lies Inland from Saldanha Bay and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. It has 3 distinct sections, each with its own unique delights. With the azure blue Langebaan Lagoon, the white dunes, unspoilt golden beaches, sheltered islands, rare fynbos, green wetlands, and salt marshes, this National Park has its own unique flavour. In fact, no other South African National Park has one quite like it.
Delve back into the past at the Khwa Ttu San Heritage Centre, the West Coast Fossil Park and with the guided Lighthouse Tour at Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.
Explore the tastes of the West Coast at the Geelbek Restaurant, a beautifully restored Cape Dutch building which is now a national monument but was once as an outpost for people on their hard and difficult journey inland. In fact, Foodies are spoilt for choice on the West Coast. Take Paternoster, for example. Famous South African chefs have their home here, and it’s not surprising when you consider that this small town has 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’.
Then there’s the craft beer on tap from the carbon neutral, family friendly, Darling Brew, famous for their ‘slow beer’ which is not only the name of the slow fermentation process but also their first beer, and their philosophy.
Die Swartland area of the West Coast is a beautiful farming area. It has soft, undulating hills of a countryside dominated by wide, sprawling, fields of wheat, encased by mountain ranges. With the ripe yellow wheat fields are intercut by thriving vineyards, fruit-heavy orchards, olive plantations, and rooibos and vegetable farms interspersed with wilderness and quaint farm villages, it is a wonderful counterpoint to the rugged, windswept, almost barren beauty of the coast.
Located in the Western Cape, the Cape Winelands is a scenic wine-growing region set against the dramatic backdrop of the Boland Mountains. Characterised by rolling vineyards, historic Cape Dutch estates and charming countryside towns, it combines natural beauty with a rich culinary and cultural heritage. Visitors can explore renowned wine farms, sample the region's celebrated wines, enjoy exceptional farm-to-table cuisine and discover its history through galleries, markets and historic architecture. Beyond wine tasting, hiking, cycling and scenic drives reveal a landscape of oak-lined avenues, fertile valleys and sweeping mountain views. Combining wine tourism, outdoor activities, historic towns and mountain scenery, the Cape Winelands is one of South Africa's premier countryside destinations.
