Flower lovers heading for the Cape this year won't want to miss the West Coast — a region of startling natural beauty even when not covered in spring blooms! It also offers fantastic opportunities for whale-watching. Here's your indispensable compact guide to some of the best flower areas of the region.

Rondeberg Private Nature Reserve
Rondeberg is 63km from Cape Town, near the town of Darling, and makes for a lovely detour or lunch spot among the beautiful blooms. Guided walks are offered, and there is a herbarium, art gallery and restaurant.
Tourist Information: Tel: (022) 492 3435 or www.rondeberg.co.za.

Darling
Darling is just 72km from Cape Town and 25km from Yzerfontein, and it's probably most famous these days for ‘Evita se Perron’, the theatre and tourist attraction owned by satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys. In spring, more than 1000 species of flowers can be seen — an attraction which is not to be missed by wildflower enthusiasts.

Darling hosts its annual wildflower show every year, during the third weekend of September. Don’t miss the Tienie Versfeld Vled Flower Reserve, which has a dazzling display of spring flowers. You can also visit the Darling Museum, in the old city hall, and the signal cannon and Boer War memorial.
Book accommodation in Darling
Tourist Information: Tel: (022) 492 3361 or www.darlingtourism.co.za.

Hopefield
Halfway between Malmesbury and Vredenburg, and 115km from Cape Town, Hopefield’s unique fynbos is fantastic in spring. Fossil enthusiasts will be keen to visit the deposits, and there is annual fynbos show during the last weekend of August.
Tourist Information: Tel: (022) 723 0500 / (022) 723 0617

Langebaan
Situated on a lagoon, Langebaan is 124km from Cape Town and is a popular holiday resort. The town is home to fossilised human footprints left in the sand millions of years ago. Langebaan is also justly famous for its spring flower display, and is a birdwatcher’s delight.
Book accommodation in Langebaan
Tourist Information: Tel: (022) 772 1515 or www.langebaaninfo.com.

Posberg
Not far from Langebaan is the beautiful Posberg Nature Reserve, which boasts gorgeous wildflowers. The reserve, situated within the West Coast National park is open to day visitors, but one of the best ways to see the flowers is on the popular Posberg Flower Trail, a two-day walk that’s only open during August and September. Book through the West Coast National Park.

Paternoster
Picturesque Paternoster is famous for its seafood and white-washed fishermen’s cottages. The Columbine Nature Reserve is just 3km out of town.
Book accommodation in Paternoster
Tourist Information: Tel: (022) 715 1142.

Columbine Nature Reserve
Columbine Nature Reserve, which includes Tietiesbaai, is beautiful all year round but especially impressive in spring, when the wild flowers are out. The reserve is 16km from Vredenburg and 3km from Paternoster.
Click here for more on the Cape Columbine nature reserve.

Yzerfontein
This West Coast village attracts many flower lovers every year, and is only 78km from Cape Town. It’s also one of the country’s prime surfing spots and is famous for its snoek. There are excellent whale viewing spots, hiking trails and the area has some good birding.
Tourist Information: Tel: (022) 451 2366 or www.tourismyzerfontein.co.za.

Lambert’s Bay
Lambert’s Bay offers excellent whale watching prospects, boat-based dolphin watching, and is famous its gannet breeding colony, Bird Island.
Book accommodation in Lambert’s Bay
Tourist Information: Tel: (027) 432 1000 / Fax: (027) 432 2335

For more information on the West Coast, visit the West Coast Tourism homepage or Western Cape Tourism.


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