Explore The Western Cape
The West Coast of South Africa – remote, windswept and bordered by the cold Atlantic, demands a special appreciation. For many years the black sheep of Western Cape tourism, it has been set upon by developers who seem all too ready to spoil the bleached, salty emptiness that many people have just begun to value. The sandy soil and dunes harbour a distinctive coastal fynbos vegetation, while the coastline is almost devoid of natural inlets or safe harbours, with fierce southeasterly summer winds and dank winter fogs, though in spring wild flowers ever-miraculously appear in the veld. The southern 200km of the region, by far the most densely populated part of the coast, has many links to Namaqualand to the north – not least the flowers.
Outside the flower months of August and September, this part of the West Coast has a wide range of attractions, particularly during summer when the lure of the sea and the cooler coast is strong. The area is well known for a wide range of activities, most popularly various types of watersports, hiking and some excellent birdwatching.
A highlight of a number of West Coast towns is the casual but sumptuous seafood feast served in open-air restaurants, with little more than a canvas shelter held up with driftwood and lengths of fishing twine or a simple wind-cheating brush fence as props. The idea is to serve up endless courses of West Coast delicacies right by the ocean, in the style of a beach braai.
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West Coast flowers
West Coast flowers
During August and September you’ll find displays of wild flowers across the West Coast region, with significant displays starting as far south as Darling. Excellent displays are also found in the West Coast National Park and the hazy coastal landscapes around Cape Columbine and Lambert’s Bay, while inland, Clanwilliam is the centre of some good routes. An incredible four thousand flower species are found in the region, most of them members of the daisy and mesembryanthemum groups. For up-to-date advice and guidance, contact the helpful tourist offices in Darling, Saldanha and Clanwilliam; look for further tips on flower-viewing.
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Birdwatching on the West Coast
Birdwatching on the West Coast
The West Coast is a twitchers’ dream, where you can tick off numerous wetland species. The most rewarding viewing time is just after flower season in early summer, which heralds the arrival of around 750,000 migrants on their annual pilgrimage from the northern hemisphere, many from as far off as the Arctic Circle. They spend about eight months fattening up on delicacies from the tidal mudflats before their arduous journey back to their breeding grounds. Langebaan in the West Coast National Park is the best place in the country for such sightings and is considered the fifth most important wetland in the world, hosting over 250 bird species, more than a quarter of South Africa’s total. The Berg River estuary and saltworks at Velddrif are another vital feeding ground for waders.
The coastal lake of Verlorenvlei, meaning “the lost marsh”, is one of the most important wetlands in South Africa; it stretches 13.5km from its mouth at Eland’s Bay (25km south of Lambert’s Bay) to its headwaters near Redelinghuys. Look out here for the purple gallinule, a colourful, shy wader, and the African marsh harrier, a raptor that may be declining in numbers. Here species more fond of arid conditions merge with the waders, and there have been some rare sightings including a black egret and a palm-nut vulture. At Bird Island, Lambert’s Bay, a sunken hide makes it convenient to view the garrulous behaviour of the breeding colony of Cape gannets.
