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TThe West Coast National Park is one of the best kept secrets in South Africa. Just an hour and 15 minutes’ drive from Cape Town International Airport, you could be forgiven for thinking you were out of the country.
Tucked against the Azure lagoon near Langebaan, this park gives you a unique package. A little bit of island living with the blue water and palm trees, some desert living with white sand dunes and a serene wilderness for that perfect escape into the bush.
Moipone Thathane from SANParks says you need to visit at a certain time of the year to experience the blankets of brightly coloured flowers, which the park is famous for, in August and September.
Did You Know?
WWest Coast National Park is home to more than 250 bird species, over a quarter of South Africa’s total.
IIt is evident that this area is a paradise for hikers, cyclists and mountain bikers, bird and nature lovers alike - any time of the year. Try to picture how beautiful the vista would look when the landscape changed in spring … endless fields of colour as far as the eye can see… bursting with life and fresh promise. The Postberg section of the park is blessed with the best of this floral beauty (note, it is only open to the public during the flower season).
West Coast National Park
WWe stayed at the famous Joanne’s Cottage, overlooking the bluest lagoon.
The cottage is fully equipped with three bedrooms, a lounge with a cosy fireplace and a braai area.
If you can’t get accommodation at Joanne’s, there is the Duinepos self-catering chalets.
From Duinepos, you can explore the richness of the West Coast’s unique biodiversity, especially the abundant bird life associated with Langebaan lagoon and surrounds.
We took a 5km hiking package. It’s a quick walk and then a long climb on wooden stairs.
Next on our itinerary was bird watching. Flamingos lined the pathway to one of the four bird hides.
West Coast National Park is home to more than 250 bird species, over a quarter of South Africa’s total.
If you can only handle cooking in small doses when on holiday, you will love the Geelbek Restaurant. It is housed in a beautifully restored Cape Dutch homestead. They serve a range of delicious, traditional dishes.
While at Geelbek, you can pop into the visitors’ centre where you can see Eve’s Footprint and Trail.
Eve’s Trail is a two-and-a-half day, fully-portered-and-catered hike through the park, retracing Eve’s footsteps.
We drove out of the park to Langebaan for a boat ride to see the boathouse accommodation at the lagoon, and then on to Saldanha Bay.
After a refreshing swim in the cool lagoon, we decided on a braai on the stoep. We heard some pitter-patter in the water. It turned out to be a whale playing about 60m from our cottage. Heaven!
West Coast National Park
Tel: 0 +2722 707 9902
Duinepos: Tel: +2722 707 9900 Cell: +2783 704 7067
www.sanparks.org
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