The West Coast is known as a fairly desolate stretch of coastline, but has a lot to offer including spectacular scenery, magnificent views, picturesque nature reserves, a bit of natural history and some great small town hospitality.

The first stop is Bloubergstrand, which lies at the foot of the 231m Blouberg or “blue mountain” so named because from a distance it has a unique blue tinge. From Bloubergstrand you can see picture-postcard views of Table Mountain. The fishing here is good, but swimming is only for the brave or foolhardy as the water is very cold.

The West Coast Fossil Park is situated an easy one and a half hour's drive from Cape Town. Phosphate mining operations at Langebaanweg uncovered one of the richest fossil sites in the world, which can give you insight into how different the area was millions of years ago.

Langebaan is a well-known coastal resort, which lies on the shores of a lagoon. This is a residential town in which no industrial development is allowed. Part of the lagoon, as well as islands, beaches and dunes, make up the West Coast National Park. In warm prehistoric periods masses of oysters were resident in this freshwater lagoon and are fossilized in the area today, in some places up to 7 meters thick.