West Coast National Park

Description

The West Coast National Park lies along the aquamarine waters of the Langebaan Lagoon, just inland from the secluded harbour of Saldanha Bay, roughly 90 minutes from Cape Town. A popular attraction for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, the West Coast National Park has a number of hiking, cycling, and mountain biking trails. For those who prefer to enjoy the slower side of life, the endless stretch of quiet beaches invite a languid stroll in the morning mist.

The West Coast National Park is home to thousands of seabirds who roost on the sheltered islands. The brooding salt marshes attract large populations of migrant waders such as the Curlow Sandpiper, Sanderling, and Knot, which journey 15 000km from Russia to these breeding grounds every year. A variety of antelope can be spotted in the idyllic landscape of the Postberg section of the park; while in the spring time, the standveld is adorned by a blaze of colourful wildflowers. Please note that, as this is a conservation area, no pets are allowed and flowers may NOT be picked.

Activities

• Annual flower season between August and September.
• Eve’s Footprint and Trail. Discovered in 1995 at Kraalbaai, these human footfalls in rock (formerly sea sand) 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, 30km, fully portered and catered hike tracing the footsteps of Eve.
• Walks and hikes. Trails include the Geelbek Walks (7km and 9km), Bakoor Trail (4,6km), Strandveld 2-day hike (28km), Postberg 2-day hiking trail (27,3km) only accessible during August and September, and the Steenbok Trail (13,9km) only accessible during August and September.
• Cycling and mountain biking. All routes start from the Langebaan Gate. These include the Geelbek (30km) and Kraalbaai (70km) cycling routes and the Green (13km) and Red (17km) mountain biking trails.
• Kayaking and kite boarding.
• Bird watching of over 250 bird species. The 4 bird hides can be found at Geelbek (2 hides), the Abrahamskraal Waterhole, and below the Seeberg Lookout Point.
• Whale watching in August and September from the Tsaarsbank section of the park
• Self-drive game viewing.
• Picnic and braai sites at Kraalbaai's beach and at the Tsaarsbank section of the park.