Activities in and around
St Helena Bay
The West Coast naturally lends itself
to a relaxing getaway, but for those who want a bit more to do there is
plenty to choose from in and around St Helena Bay. The area
receives less cloud and rain than Cape Town, with more sunshine and
milder temperatures, especially welcome during the winter months, making
it a popular year-round destination. Hot and dry during the summer
months, the area really comes to life after the winter rains
and the spring flowers burst into life.
    
St Helena Bay is one of the most
popular bays for whales to visit and calve. From August to
November, the Southern
Right Whales come in to the bay to calve, and can be viewed from the
shore all around the bay. Humpback whales are also
present in the area. Heaviside's
dolphins
are found in large numbers at any time along with schools of dusky and
common dolphins. Large groups can be seen chasing fish along the
shore or simply flying through the waves out of sheer enjoyment.
St Helena Bay is also one of the
world's principal fishing centres. The cold Benguela
current surges upwards along this part of the coast and brings nutrient
rich waters to the bay resulting in the abundant sea life. In winter, snoek are caught and the harbour is a vibrant, bustling
hive of activity, as the fish are sold straight off the boats.
More than half of the fish processed annually in South Africa is
processed here.
For those interested in
birdwatching, there are many species to be seen in the area, from
raptors to seabirds, including white pelicans, flamingoes and the
increasingly threatened African black oyster catchers. In winter thousands
of aquatic birds arrive at nearby Rocher Pan Marine & Nature Reserve to
breed. Contact the West Coast Bird Club or visit nearby
Langebaan Lagoon, the West Coast National Park, the Berg River bird
hides in Veldrif, or venture even further up the coast to Elands Bay and
Lamberts Bay to see Verlorenvlei and Bird Island.
One of the main attractions from midwinter
to the end of spring are the world renowned
spring flowers,
when the West Coast bursts overnight into brilliant colour. The white daisies herald the beginning of spring,
to be followed by oranges, pinks, yellows and purples as the Cape Fynbos blossoms
in all its glory. The whole area becomes
a carpet of colour during the wild flower season, which is dependent on the
rainfall for its start and duration. Various wild flower reserves can be found in
Darling, Langebaan, Paternoster and Saldanha, while along the roads
around St Helena Bay and from Vredenburg and Velddrif to Hopefield the
flowers put on a beautiful display.
The
West Coast National Park
is well worth a visit, especially in Spring when the Postberg section of
the park is opened for flower viewing. The beautiful Langebaan
Lagoon is classified as a wetland of international importance and is
host to over 250 bird species. The shallow
waters of the lagoon are warmer that those of the sea and offer a variety of
activities which make for a great day out.
Wine routes offer the
opportunity to taste the region's excellent wines.
Darling, The Riebeeck Valley, Citrusdal,
Malmesbury, Porterville and Piketberg form the Swartland Wine Route,
while further North, the Olifants River Wine Route encompasses Vredendal,
Lutzville and Klawer.
The West Coast is famous for its
seafood, particularly snoek, crayfish in season, mussels and
oysters. Numerous local restaurants provide charming places to relax and enjoy
the bounties of the sea and land. A local delicacy worth a try is
'bokkoms', the salted, dried fish which you can see hanging in the sun
to dry all along 'Bokkoms Alley' on the tranquil banks of the Berg River
in Veldrif.
A variety of
water sports are
to be found all around the coastline, including angling, fishing
charters, sailing charters, windsurfing, diving, snorkelling, surfing, sea-kayaking,
kite-surfing and waterskiing.
Shelley Point boasts a wonderful new
golf course. Langebaan Country Club offers an 18 hole
course, while the Vredenburg/Saldanha Golf Course is one of the most popular
locally and courses at Darling, Veldrif, Yzerfontein and Hopefield also allow
for plenty of golfing opportunities.
Some of the most popular
hiking
trails in the area follow the coastline from Jacobsbaai to
Tietiesbaai (17km) and Paternoster to Stompneusbaai (30km). The West
Coast National Park, Rocherpan Nature Reserve and SAS Saldanha Nature
Reserve also have a variety of hikes to choose from.
St Helena Bay has a
4x4 trail
on the farm Elandskloof, while Langebaan and Paternoster
also cater for off-road enthusiasts.
An excellent way to explore the
countryside is by horse riding. Various outrides are
offered around Langebaan, Vredenburg and Saldanha.
An interesting
museum at Shelley
Point celebrates the 'discovery' of the bay by Vasco Da Gama in 1497,
while the pristine beach setting of the Vasco Da Gama
monument is nearby.
The
West Coast Fossil Park
with its internationally renowned palaeontological diggings is
a national monument and offers tours of its attractions.
Watch out for the various
local events
which are becoming increasingly popular, including the West Coast Show
held in Vredenburg every April, as well as numerous marathons, sporting
events, cultural festivals, craft markets and shows.
West Coast ...
angling, art galleries, arts and crafts, beaches, birdwatching, boat
trips, casino, crayfishing, diving, dolphins, factory tours; fish
factories, oyster farm, salt works, fishing, flowers, fossil park, 4x4
trails, golf courses, horse riding, kite-surfing, microlighting,
mountain biking, quad-biking, restaurants, sailing charters, seafood,
sea-kayaking, snorkelling, spearfishing, surfing, Vasco da Gama monument and museum,
waterskiing, whales, windsurfing ... West Coast |
