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The West Coast National park is a paradise for hikers, mountain bikers, birders and nature-lovers alike. Against the backdrop of the blue lagoon, white dunes, and rare fynbos, the West Coast National Park has so much to share, it is a must for all visitors to the Western Cape.
The West Coast National park was initially proclaimed in 1985 as the Langebaan National park, with the name later changed to the West Coast National park. Situated 100 km from Cape Town, the park stretches from Yzerfontein in the South to Langebaan in the North and from the Atlantic ocean in the west across the West Coast road towards Hopefield in the east.
The park, including the lagoon covers about 47 000ha. On a national level, the conservation of the Langebaan Lagoon and the salt marshes up to its southern extreme is of utmost importance. The area is unique in that no river feeds them and at some 5700 ha the lagoon and marshes are by far the largest in South Africa, constituting 32% of salt marsh habitats in the country
The West Coast National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife. The West Coast National Park is home to over 250 bird species, reptiles and mammals. Not to mention, it is seasonally visited by pods of whales. Nature-loving families will be in their element, spotting all the different fauna. ostriches, Eland, Kudu, Red Hartebeest, Bontebok, Cape Mountain Zebra, Gemsbok, Lesser Flamingo, Bat-earred Foxes and an abundance of tortoises. It is a paradise for wildlife lovers
History buffs keen to learn about the park’s fauna, flora, and cultural history will get more than they bargained for at this visitor’s centre at Geelbek which also boasts a great restaurant.You will be able to witness replicas of Eve’s footprints, which were discovered in 1995 at Kraalbaai. The original prints, discovered in rock are said to have belonged to a woman who lived some 117 000 years ago.
Witness some of Cape Town’s greatest sights – Table Mountain, the Cederberg mountains and the southern part of the Langebaan Lagoon – from the Seeberg viewpoint, which offers the best vistas in the park. If you are planning to stay overnight, the West Coast National Park has a number of charming cottages ranging in size and location, including Abrahamskraal Cottage, Van Breda Cottage, and Jo Anne’s B Cottage, to name a few. There are also 11 self-catering Duinepos Chalets and two houseboats available for hire.
If you possess an adventurer’s sense of wanderlust, the possibility of seeing a real-life shipwreck is always an exciting prospect. Just beyond Tsaarsbank, you may sight the rusted remains of the once-74 000-ton bulk Croatian carrier, Pantelis A Lemos, shipwrecked here in 1978.
This prime flower- and game-viewing location is at its colourful best during August and September – the pinnacle of our annual spring-flower season. It’s only open to the public during those two months, when the ground beneath your feet explodes into a dazzling patchwork of vibrant, varied daisies .
The West Coast national park has something for everyone, so make a day of it and join a Cape Town private tour by Cape Tourism Solutions and let us show you the best places in the West Coast National Park.
Jin Cape Tourism Solutions on our West Coast day tour and enjoy the wonders of the West Coast National Park.
