West Coast National Park
Tel: +27 22 772-2144/5
Fax: +27 22 772-2607
Email: moipone.thathane@sanparks.org
Website: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/west_coast/default.php
West Coast National Park near the secluded harbour of Saldanha Bay, lies 1,5 hour's drive from Cape Town's City Centre. The park comes alive in August and September when carpets of indigenous flowers carpet the area.
Some 482 plant species occur here, including numerous Red Data Species. Eland, red hartebeest, Cape grysbok, caracal and rock hyrax are some of the terrestrial species to search for. Visitors should also keep an eye on the Atlantic Ocean for passing whales and dolphins.
The Langebaan Lagoon was proclaimed as a marine reserve in 1973 and later in 1985, was proclaimed Langebaan National Park with the name later being changed to West Coast National Park. The Park. The Langebaan Ramsar Site was declared in 1988.
Five things to see and do
- Watch game frolic in the sea of flowers during the late winter months
- Book a trail to follow Eve’s footprints - discovered in 1995 at Kraalbaai, this trail leads hikers to the unmistakable human footfalls in rock (formerly sea sand) and are said to have belonged to a young woman who lived 117 000 years ago
- Get cycling and paddling – there are several mountain bike trails while kayaking and kite-boarding are popular activities in the Langebaan Lagoon
- Get Twitching – hundreds of bird species have been recorded here – best viewed from one of the four bird Go whale-watching – especially good during August and September from the Tsaarsbank section of the park.
