Road tripping the West Coast

South Africa has some of the most scenic routes and roads in the world – and the Western Cape’s West Coast is a must for anyone who loves a good old-fashioned road trip. All you need is a reliable car, good company, and a fully charged camera to capture all the memorable moments.

You could witness the wildflower blooms in spring, surf the Atlantic Ocean in summer, or visit some of the finest restaurants in the country. No matter what you end up doing, you’ll fall in love with this stretch of coastline. As they say, the West Coast is the best coast! Let’s take a look at some of the best attractions along the way.

Surf the West Coast at Eland’s Bay

Cape Town to Eland’s Bay: 2 h 21 min (221 km) via N7 and R366 2 h 11 min without traffic. Once you leave Cape Town and head west a host of surf spots await, including the famous Eland’s Bay, which has been featured in many films and magazines, being dubbed by Wavescape as the J-bay of the west coast.

People surfing Photo: Brandon Compagne via Unsplash

Langebaan lagoon at the West Coast National Park

Cape Town to West Coast National Park: 1 h 5 min (87.7 km) via R27 59 min without traffic. Under two hours drive from Cape Town and you’ll find yourself at the West Coast National Park which boasts the breathtaking Langebaan Lagoon. Hordes of birds make homes of the various protected islands and in certain times of year, the landscape becomes a mosaic of colourful flowers, which blanket the countryside.

View of the sea at the West Coast National Park Photo: West Coat National Park

Wine tasting through the Darling wine route

Cape Town to Darling: 1 h 4 min (76.9 km) via N7 and R307 59 min without traffic. If the frantic energy of a music festival is a little much for you to handle, you can take a scenic meander through the Darling wine route. Just make sure you draw straws for who is going to be the designated driver.

A wine tasting in the Cape Winelands Photo: Getty Images

Take a break in Paternoster

This charming fishing village is the perfect place for a weekend break or longer stay, during certain times of year it can become quite busy with holidaymakers during the winter months it’s quiet and tranquil and chilly but clear and beautiful. The town has many accommodation facilities, mainly small hotels, guest houses and beach houses open to being rented. Cape Town to Paternoster: 1 h 44 min (159 km) via R27 1 h 34 min without traffic.

The lighthouse in Paternoster, South Africa Photo: Unsplash

Take a fishing road trip to Saldanha Bay

Cape Town to Saldanha Bay: 2 h 5 min (132 km) via R27 2 h without traffic. Fishing is a way of life on the West Coast and who doesn’t love a good old fishing road trip. Saldanha Bay has the biggest natural bay in the country making it a prime destination for the fishing industry in South Africa.

Visit the West Coast Fossil Park

Cape Town to West Coast Fossil Park: 1 h 33 min (146 km) via R27 1 h 26 min without traffic. It is believed that the West Coast is a destination where time seems to stand still and the West Coast Fossil Park takes this idea to another level. Rest your weary travelling bones and see fossils which are said to be over 5 million years old. Visit their website for more information.

Whale watching, whilst stopping to smell the flowers

If you plan your West Coast road trip adventure correctly you could get the opportunity to see amazing giant ocean creatures in the flesh as well as driving past fields and fields of blooming flowers (that’s if you decide to visit during spring). Best areas for whale watching on the West Coast are Melkbosstrand, Bok Point, Yzerfontein, and the Rocherpan Nature Reserve near Dwarskersbos, Lambert’s Bay, and Saldanha Bay.

A whale breaches off the coast of South Africa Photo: Getty Images

Vasco Da Gama statue St Helena Bay

Cape Town to St Helena Bay: 1 h 45 min (161 km) via R27 1 h 38 min without traffic. No real road trip is complete without a bit of a history lesson. When iconic Portuguese explorer arrived for the first time in South Africa and washed up on the shores of St Helena Bay, there is a monument there to remember this significant piece of explorer history.

Visit the 16-mile beach at Yzerfontein

Cape Town to Yzerfontein: 1 h 7 min (96.7 km) via R27 1 h 3 min without traffic. Yzerfontein the self-proclaimed “jewel of the west coast” has many wonderful attractions one of them being the iconic and highly spoken of the 16-mile beach. Take a break from your long road trip and sit on the longest stretch of continuous beach in South Africa. The beach runs north from Yzerfontein and travels all the way to the West Coast National Park.

The beach in Yzerfontein, South Africa Photo: Unsplash

Spend a night or two at !Khwa ttu

Cape Town to !Khwa ttu: 1 h 1 min (84.2 km) via R27 57 min without traffic. Warning: Certain routes have restricted or private roads on this particular journey. Get a real cultural experience and learn more about one of the oldest recorded civilisations on the planet. !Khwa ttu (according to their website) “is a centre of San culture and heritage that provides tailor-made training for young San women and men of Southern Africa. They offer tours of various cultural areas on the west coast and also have various accommodation facilities available.