WCNP
Just inland from the secluded harbour of Saldanha Bay, and only 1,5 hour's drive from Cape Town's City Centre, one finds the azure waters of the Langebaan Lagoon, focal point of the West Coast National Park.
Thousands of seabirds roost on sheltered islands, pristine golden beaches stretch endlessly into the early morning mist and brooding salt marshes are home to vast concentrations of migrant waders from the northern hemisphere. During the spring the strandveld is embroidered with a tapestry of multi-hued flowers, while in the Postberg section many antelope are to be seen in a setting that is as unique as it is idyllic.
Flower Season
West Coast National Park boasts a popular and colourful flower season annually between August and September. Depending on the amount of rainfall in the preceding winter months, West Coast’s Flower Season is fast becoming rival competition to other popular flower viewing sites in the country.
Eve's Footprint and Trail
Discovered in 1995 at Kraalbaai, these prints are unmistakable human footfalls in rock (formerly sea sand) and are said to have belonged to a young woman who lived 117 000 years ago. The original prints are housed at the Iziko Museums’ South African National Museum in Cape Town, but the replica can be viewed at the Geelbek Information Centre inside West Coast National Park.
Eve's Trail is a 2.5 day, fully portered and catered hike through the park, tracing the footsteps of Eve. The trail is a 30km wilderness hike, consisting of 3 legs connected through a series of West Coast-style meals and transfers.
For more information on Eve's Trail, you could visit the capebiospheretrails website.
Activity Galore
West Coast National Park boasts a number of activities that the whole family can enjoy –
- take a walk or more strenuous hike;
- mountain bike on one of the cycling routes in the park;
- kayak and kite-board in the Langebaan Lagoon;
- scout for the hundreds of bird species found in the park in one of the four bird hides;
- picnic and braai at some of the specially built facilities in the park;
- watch for whales in August and September from the Tsaarsbank section of the park;
- Explore the park from the comfort of your vehicle (car/motorbike) and view Game in their natural habitat.
