All you need To know about Cape West Coast Region.
A popular tourist route leaving Cape Town along Route 27 has developed from what was once an almost unexplored treasure trove of unspoiled beaches, amazing mountain ranges, great geographical diversity, and the most stunning carpet of wildflowers in spring.
From Cape Town to the Northern Cape border at Touws River, the Cape West Coast Region extends. Within its boundaries are the breathtakingly gorgeous Cederberg Mountains, which are well-known for their ancient rock art. A number of charming medieval towns and fishing villages can be found all along this stretch of coastline. Names like Lambert’s Bay, Paternoster, Saldanha, and Langebaan today easily roll off the tongue, but up until very recently, they were left to languish in relative obscurity.
In the region between Ganzekraal and Strandfontein, where snoek, mussels, and crayfish are stapled foods and ‘bokkoms’ (salted mullet strung up in bunches and allowed to dry) is a regional speciality, salt-of-the-earth people call this place home. A seafood lover’s paradise, Route 27 on the Cape West Coast is home to a number of outdoor eateries that serve the best seafood straight from the ocean while you watch the sun slowly set over the water.
The small town of Darling, which is nearby Cape Town, is worth a visit, especially in September when it hosts a wildflower and orchid display and offers locally made wines. The West Coast National Park is the nearest location outside of Cape Town where one can experience the spring flower season, located a bit farther up the coast. The nearby Fossil Park has discovered 200 different species of creatures, many of which are brand-new to science.
The N7 runs parallel to the R27 and travels through the Swartland to the equally stunning towns of Clanwilliam and Citrusdal. Make a detour to Ceres, then take the Gydo Pass to get to Citrusdal. You arrive in the Koue Bokkeveld, a valley renowned for its red apples, pears, peaches, plums, and apricots as well as its simple hospitality, just after crossing the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains.
Gentle walks in the Cederberg during the spring, when the landscape turns into a carpet of yellow, orange, and purple, will not fail to bring you closer to the natural rhythms of a world where fynbos, succulents, and wide open skies could not be more remote from city living. The Cederberg Wilderness is 71 000 hectares of mountainous terrain that runs almost north to south from Clanwilliam to Citrusdal.