Accommodation in West Coast
LOCATION
Paternoster is about an hour and 45 minutes drive North of Cape Town on the R27, up the West Coast, just 20 minutes past Langebaan.
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
It’s a typical, small West Coast fishing village with old white washed fishermen’s cottages. It has a long white beach stretching for kilometres with huge boulders jutting out of the bay, which creates a magnificent view.
It has that “where time stands still” feel. It is still a working fishing village where one can watch the local fishermen launch their little fishing boats from the beach each morning and head out to sea, returning a few hours later with their catch.
It is so peaceful and quite, that it was the perfect place just to relax. Although we went in Summer, its the kind of place that I can imagine is just as captivating in winter with rough seas outside and a glass of red wine in your hand next to the fire place.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
There is not a great deal to do in Paternoster, but that is actually the beauty about the place. There are no people “flying” up and down the beach with quad bikes or launching Jet Ski or powerboats. The best part was just taking a stroll along beach. There is a place where you can hire sea kayaks and take a paddle around the bay. The Columbine Lighthouse and Nature Reserve is literally five minutes drive down the coast and worth a visit. I saw signage for the West Coast Fossil Park, but didn’t manage to get there.
FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
The food was one of the highlights of the weekend. The first night we decided to have dinner at the “Voorstrand” restaurant, which is a 200 year old corrugated iron house literally on the beach. It is very laid back and intimate and the food was great too. Another restaurant to try while you are there is the Noisy Oyster.
We bought fish and a few Kreef (Crayfish) straight off the boat from the fishermen in the morning and had a magnificent fish braai/ “seafood fest” at the cottage that night.
If you are looking for a “heaving” nightlife, then Paternoster is not the place for you. There are one or two bars that are worth a visit, one of them being the Paternoster Hotel Bar with loads of character.
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at Paternoster Seaside Cottages, a four star self catering cottage designed in the style of the old fisherman’s cottages. It had all the mod cons with an indoor and outdoor fireplace and accommodated six people (three bedrooms).
GENERAL
Being on the Atlantic, the sea water is cold, so expect your swimming sessions to be limited if you are sensitive to the temperatures.
This Sneaky Weekender was recommended by: Peter D. from Cape Town
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the Sneaky Weekender articles on this website, do not necessarily reflect the views of Finding Africa. |