Paternoster - a definitive Cape West Coast fishing village

TThe landscape is harsh but beautiful. Vegetation grows low on the ground, while sand dunes contrast with the occasional green field where sheep and other livestock graze. Close by, you'll find the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve and the popular camping spot called “Tietiesbaai”.

Take advantage of the isolation by going for walks along the beach. Keep to yourself in a nook at any of the eateries, or get rowdy at establishments like the Panty Bar at the Paternoster Hotel. Or go for a swim in the Atlantic, if only for the bragging rights—it’s cold but invigorating. You could spend a day, a weekend, a month contemplating the meaning of life, reading a book or even writing one.

Seals, dolphins and whales are regularly spotted here. Bird watchers will love the coastal birds that are found around the area and, around springtime, the West Coast’s famous wildflowers bloom. Without the distractions of urban over-development, Paternoster’s possibilities are as endless as the beach itself.