West Coast National Park is a national park on the west coast of South Africa's Western Cape province. It's certainly not one of the most famous, but its special charm has been increasingly well-known and visitor numbers are increasing even outside of the flower season. The rough and rugged nature of the West Coast can be experienced particularly well here.

Understand

History

The nature reserve, established in 1985, is one of the largest on the coast of South Africa. The reason for establishing this area was to protect this unique wetland of international importance.

The park stretches along the Atlantic coast from Yzerfontein in the south to Langebaan in the north. The park includes the Langebaan Lagoon with its azure blue water and a beautiful bathing beach.

The centre of the West Coast National Park is Geelbek. A nature conservation station has been set up on the old farm grounds. The old Cape Dutch house has a small shop, a small exhibition and a restaurant. In the restaurant, you can sit comfortably on the terrace or in the garden and enjoy regional specialities. There is also an old slave bell in the garden.

Flora and fauna

With 265 species of birds, the park is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world. The lagoon and its islands protect numerous species of birds, and the reed and marsh landscapes attract countless species of waders. It is a paradise for ornithologists. On land, lions and rhinos have long since disappeared. Today, various species of antelope and ostriches roam the area. When driving on the roads, you must be particularly careful of small park inhabitants. Turtles often cross the path or lie in the warm sun.

Between July and October, you can see whales off the Atlantic coast. Dolphins can be seen all year round.

In addition to the animal world, the flora delights visitors to the park in the South African spring. After heavy winter rains, the national park is ablaze with flowers. The private area of the Postberg also opens its gates at this time. The Postberg consists of three old farms Oude Post, Nieuwland and Kreeftebai. There are also some wild zebras here.

Get in

The park is about 120 km north of Cape Town. It can be reached by car from Cape Town on the R27 towards Saldanha, Vredenburg or Veldrift.

The park has two entrances. One is directly on the R27 north of the turnoff to Yzerfontein. The second entrance is in Langebaan.

Do

The small town of Churchhaven is on the headland along the Atlantic coast. From the church, there is a stunning view over the lagoon to Geelbek and Langebaan. There are various viewing and bird-watching points throughout the park. Shortly after the turnoff to Geelbek, a wooden walkway on the right leads through the marshland to a point from which you can easily observe flamingos on their journey. There is also an observation point behind Geelbek.

If you come into the national park from Langebaan, a short distance after the gate you can take a detour to the right to a lookout point. This spot on a mountain offers an excellent view of the entire lagoon, Langebaan and Saldanha Bay.

If you drive towards Postberg, a small path leads to the left to a waterhole, Abrahamskraal. A little further on, you can look out over the Atlantic from a vantage point. If the visibility is good, you can see Cape Town's Table Mountain on the horizon.

There are parking spaces on the right-hand side just before the entrance to Postberg. From here, steps lead to the beach of the lagoon. Because the water is so shallow, it can warm up well here and the temperature is pleasant for swimming. This place is very busy at weekends.

If you continue along the road, you will reach the Atlantic. There are also several parking spaces where you can park your car. If you want, you can walk along the beach to a wreck. The beach is almost deserted, especially during the week and outside of the flowering season. With some luck, you will see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. From the last parking space, you can see the offshore island with its old whaling station.

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