There's a saying that the West Coast is the best coast. People who say that are obviously not in love with tropical beaches and sunbathing bodies, umbrellas and ice-cream sellers. They're also not crazy about beach resorts, promenades, or even balmy seas, because all of these are rare commodities in the West Coast. No, you fall in love with the West Coast because of its unique – and sometimes quite rough! – character.
You can't, for example, describe the West Coast without using the words snoek, crayfish, bokkoms, and black mussels. You'll also need to mention the southeaster, kelp, and soutslaai (common ice plant).
All these are plentiful in places like Tietiesbaai, Dwarskersbos, Papendorp, and Hondeklip Bay. And the farther north you travel to the coast, the more you discover Namaqualand's flowers, the Diamond Coast's harbour towns, and the Richtersveld's rocky and arid landscape.
Yes, the West Coast certainly holds much to discover, and for that you need more than one long weekend. Follow this route from Cape Town to the Namibian border to tick the entire the West Coast off your bucket list.
about the true location of the start of the West Coast: just past Cape Point's lighthouse or
