March
8
2010
By Robyn Hodson
The West Coast National Park is so popular it has around 70,000 summer visitors each year, who have flown more than 15,000 km across the world to visit it.
Okay... so these 'visitors' aren’t actual people, they’re water birds all the way from the Northern Hemisphere which flock to the Langebaan Lagoon for some defrosting in the sunshine. Coming from the dead of winter in Russia, you'd do the same, wouldn’t you?
Spring on the West Coast is the best time to visit as it is wild flower season. No one can pinpoint exactly which weeks in September or October the flowers will bloom so you just have to be lucky. But if you come at any other time of the year you’ll find a kind of savage beauty—untamed landscapes of bushy fynbos stretching out to windswept beaches buffering the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean.
Driving into the West Coast National Park (about an hour from Cape Town) you’ll need to watch out for the tortoises. They’re a feisty bunch who like to share the road with motorcars. You might also catch the twitching ears of a caracal, the flight of a black harrier and every now and then the pink flash of a flamingo shrimping in the turquoise shallows of the lagoon.
If you book in advance you can stay in the park in an area closed to the general public called Churchhaven—my favourite sort of place as there’s no-one else there (so be careful who you tell). The tiny hamlet has only a few private homes, a church and simple, stylish beach cottages which overlook the lagoon. As there’s no shop or restaurant you have to bring everything in with you—but once there it’s all yours.
If you’re crying out for company, a short drive from Churchhaven is Geelbek, which has a Visitors’ Centre, bird hides, hiking trails, cycling routes and a notable restaurant of the same name which is really rather good. Kraalbaai is another great place to visit within the park for the more active traveller. Kite boarding, kayaking and other water sports can be booked and there are houseboats moored in the lagoon for an overnight with a difference.
Robyn Hodson enjoys a little hermit time every now and then on her travels. You can see more of her work at justtheplanet.com, where she is the Travel Editor. If you're looking to escape urbanization, have a look at our trip planning site to see what we can put together for you.