Western Cape Places :: The West Coast           The charm of the West Coast lies in nature’s creation: magnificent floral displays, a pristine sparsely habited coastline, indigenous animals, amazing sandstone formations and pre-historic fossils. The area is best visited between July and September when the fynbos is transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour and the weather is cooler.	Places St Helena Bay Paternoster Vredenburg Saldanha Bay Langebaan Jacobsbaai   Paternoster

North Coast
          Paternoster is one of a handful of authentic West Coast fishing villages. Paternoster attracts spear fishermen and is also a popular fishing, sea kayaking and shipwreck scuba diving spot. Hiking and mountain biking go hand in hand with beach rambles. The Columbine Nature Reserve with the well-known "Tietiesbaai" offers beautiful wildflowers during August and September. Whales and Dolphins also visit these waters for ten months of the year. Hopefield is largely defined by fynbos, birdlife and farming, together with a history steeped in interesting architecture and archaeological finds such as fossil deposits from Elandsfontein.

          St Helena Bay is defined largely by its harbour and the fish processing industry. It´s a birdwatchers´ paradise. Whales and dolphins are also known to frequent the bay, which rates among the world's calmest waters.

Vredenberg
          Vredenburg is the business and administrative centre for the region. Vredenburg is popular for golf, horse riding, squash, tennis, rugby, and canoeing - and indoor cricket.

Saldanha and Langebaan
          The Saldanha Bay area lies between the Berg River mouth and the West Coast National Park, stretching inland to Hopefield with the Berg River in the northeast. Saldanha Bay is strong on the watersports front. The town´s economy is strongly dependent on fishing, mussels, seafood processing, the steel industry and the harbour.

          Often referred to as the “Jewel of the West Coast”, Langebaan is a beautiful village on the the eastern shore of the Langebaan Lagoon, situated only 100km from Cape Town. This is a very popular resort town for holiday makers as the summers are never very hot nor winters very cold, making it the ideal place to visit all year round. The name Langebaan is said to originate from a Dutch Phrase meaning “Long Fjord”, and as well as a perfect holiday resort it is the ideal place to stay when visiting the 30,000 hectare West Coast National Park. The Park protects an internationally important wetland and offers nature lovers from all over the world the chance to view more than 360 species of birds as well as the masses of spring flowers in August and September. The lagoon itself, naturally offers sport enthusiasts almost every kind of water sport including wind surfing, sailing, surfing, fishing, and diving. If the scouts sent to Langabaan by Jan Van Riebeeck in 1662 had found fresh water, the location of Cape Town could quite possibly have been here. Instead Langabaan is a growing resort which has superb character, where its inhabitants, traditionally farmers and fishermen, welcome the tourists.

Jacobsbaai
          Jacobsbaai boasts peninsulas, rocky and sandy bays, with cosy beaches and an abundance of seafood, crayfish, fish, mussels and abalone. Jacobsbaai offers watersports such as boardsailing, sea kayaking, diving and angling, where you can also get up reasonably close (not closer than 300 metres) to a dolphin or southern right whale. The 17-kilometre hiking trail between Swartriet and Tietiesbaai explores equally attractive surrounding bays.

Heritage
          The Western Cape's West Coast region's heritage is a product of diverse cultures such as the original Khoi inhabitants, whose rock art is still in evidence in the region today, and European missionaries who established seven mission stations throughout the region. It also houses beautiful restored buildings, like the birthplace of General Smuts, museums, the grave of poet, doctor, novelist and food expert Louis Leipoldt, and sites where the Anglo Boer war skirmishes took place.

          The Cederberg mountain is home to the most diverse and detailed rock art, a legacy left by hunter-gatherers centuries ago. There are hundreds of rocky overhangs and caves with fine examples of rock art. These paintings may be anything from 300 to 6000 years old and are sensitive to damage. They are an integral part of wilderness area’s fascination and visitors should discover them for themselves. Rock art is protected by the National Monuments Act and vandals who deface rock paintings face fines of up to R10 000 or two year’s imprisonment, or both. Cederberg offers some of the most awe-inspiring rock formations in the country such as the Wolfberg Arch and Maltese Cross.