West Coast South Africa

SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARIS AND THE WEST COAST

The West Coast is located in the Western Cape Province, South Africa; this area is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Swartland region in the east. The main tourist attraction and South African highlight is the nature reserve – the West Coast National Park.

The West Coast National Park is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the R27 coastal road. This National Park is over 27 500 ha and runs all the way from Yzerfontein to the Langebaan lagoon. The best time to visit the West Coast National Park is between August and October, especially in the Postberg flower reserve, when all the spring flowers are in bloom. Many travellers come to South Africa purely to see the West Coast flowers!

The West Coast region stretches over 400 km from north to south and is known for its magnificent displays of flowers and vegetation as well as its lush fishing grounds! The main towns in the West Coast region are; Saldanha Bay, Paternoster, Vredenburg, St. Helena Bay (Britannia Bay), Langebaan, Hopefield, Darling and Yzerfontein.

Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour and the best place for any water or fishing enthusiasts, even boasting Southern Right Whale sightings from the harbour.  Saldanha is located on the desert side of Namaqualand.

Paternoster is a small and undeveloped fishing village… with dolphins and whales being seen from the beach or the surrounding hills!

The Vredenburg area is the commercial and transportation hub for the West Coast area...

Langebaan is set around the Langebaan lagoon and is one of the very few purely salt water lagoons in South Africa. A fantastic area for bird-watchers as they can view over 300 species of birds in this part of the West Coast National Park.

Darling is a small farming town that boasts an annual flower festival, Darling has one of the best displays of wild flowers in the West Coast area!
Yzerfontein is the smallest town along the West Coast and relies heavily on tourism and fishing for its income.

Overall, the West Coast of South Africa is probably most famous for its display of wild flowers during the spring season - drawing scores of tourists from all over the world to see the carpets of colours spread across wide open plains. There are many quaint towns all along the coast that offer a welcome break from the bustle of the city. The West Coast area also offers the Cedarberg Mountain range where active travellers can find a wide selection of hiking and walking trails as well as San rock art.

Have a look at our South African safaris that include the West Coast below. There are also other South African attractions beneath that you might want to visit on your South African Safari.