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An exquisite contrast is found within the Cape West Coast National Park, surrounding the southern portion of the Langebaan lagoon. In this pristine wilderness just about 30 minutes outside Cape Town, South Africa, you are likely to see ostrich, tortoises, antelopes, lots of birds of prey and visiting migrant birds, (50-70,000 of whom fly in from Russia to spend their summer here, and who can blame them)!
Gate opening hours are: April to September 7am-7.30pm, October to March 6am to 8pm. There is a small entrance fee, more details here.
The Cape West Coast of South Africa has a dry Mediterranean climate and a lack of natural fresh water. It has miles of empty white beaches and wild rocky shores, pounded by a chilly Atlantic Ocean. It can seem barren and inhospitable, but when the spring flowers bloom, this impression is replaced with one of abundance.
Langebaan town may be a good base from which to enjoy the lagoon and the rest of the West Coast, but the surrounding hillside suburbs are dotted with a mishmash of housing styles and some dubious taste.
The Benguela Current is as nutrient-rich as it is cold and supports a wealth of marine life. There has been a good increase in the whale population in the last 30 years, and whales, dolphins, seals and penguins can be seen from land and boat. Hotspots are St. Helena Bay, Cape Columbine and Saldanha Bay. Contact Cape West Coast Tourism tourism@capewestcoast.org tel: 022 433 8400.
Coastal housing developments have been popping up all along the West Coast and are proving popular. Fresh water is piped in to such enticing sounding locations as Pearly Beach and Shelly Point. The sweet old fishing village of Pater Noster, (Latin for Our Father as named by catholic Portuguese explorers in the 16th century), has new neighbours too, as another smart development rises out of the coastal dunes near Saldanha.
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