West Coast Wonders – Why a Drive Up the West Coast When You Visit Cape Town is a Must

When in Cape Town, do as the CapeTonians do and enjoy exploring this most scenic of Atlantic coastal corners of the globe. Hop in your hired car and explore the West Coast, even if you just stop off at Saldanha, the first town you’re likely to saunter into.

This two hour straight route up the R27, or coastal road, as it’s known, is a firm favourite with locals who live for stopping off at the quaint farm stalls,  taking in the finest of fauna and flora along the way, supporting the local fishing communities and dining on fresh-from-the-fishing-boat seafood delicacies. Best of all is the irresistible ocean breeze when it hits along with the sight of sanguine waves in summer and wild, ferocious waves in winter. This is the wonder of the West Coast that keeps the locals in love with this stretch and has them returning religiously season after season.

Getting on to the R27

A good option for hitting the road is a hired get-around car that won’t cost you the coastline to hire, or have you blowing the budget on petrol. The route is straight and uncomplicated so a entry-level car will be just fine. Betta Car Hire Cape Town reviews are great for a reason as Betta Car Hire is a reliable, customer service oriented car hire company at some of the lowest per-day rates you are likely to find. Other affordable, snappy options are Eco Car Hire Cape Town and Cape Town Jet Ski car hire.

When departing from the foreshore, waterfront or Cape Town central itself, the easiest route is to get on to the Table Bay Boulevard, the big highway ‘exiting’ the waterfront. It runs to the left of the Cape Town Convention Centre. Take the N1 lane, and keep left. Do not take any exits until you hit Exit 10, which will say: Century City Drive/N7 toward Goodwood/Malmesbury.

Now keep right, but follow the signs for the N1. At the fork, keep left to continue on Exit 13A. Follow the signs for N7/Malmesbury and merge onto the N7. After 17.8 km, take Exit 31. Continue until a slight left onto Melkbosstrand Rd/M19 and then turn right onto the West Coast Rd/R27. From this point onward, you’ll travel for almost 100 km until you can follow the signage to coastal town after town.

Get Eco Car Hire Cape Town in Langebaan

Langebaan is either the first or final stop for many Cape residents, but either way, they do not miss it. It is incredibly popular all-year round as an oceanside vacation town. The good news is, you’ll reach it in your rental vehicle from Eco Car Hire Cape Town or Cape Town Jet Ski car hire in just over an hour on the R27. At a distance of 132 km, and assuming you’ve gone for one of the suitably low fuel-consumption zap-arounds from Eco Car Hire Cape Town or Cape Town Jet Ski car hire, you’ll pay only approximately R130 for petrol at an assumed rate of R13 per litre.

Calypso beach waters are cold but you’ll want to spend some time lounging around watching the odd seal. Then head to Club Mykonos or one of the many trendy beach bars to cool off with a sundowner, then explore the sea line by boat or hop on a quad bike. If you’re in the mood for a nearby mini safari, head to the Elandsfontein Private Nature Reserve. Head back to the beach zone for lunch or dinner – the sumptuous seafood and other offerings are so compelling at each restaurant, that deciding on one really can be a difficult decision!

Saldanha

This important port is one of the largest iron ore export plants in Africa. The harbour is mainly industrial in nature, with the port and waters home to some of the biggest local fisheries in the area. If you’re a keen fisherman, amateur or not, this is just the spot of coastline for you.

In recent times, due to a curtail on the number of local fishermen permitted, the numbers of village fishermen have decreased. As this is their livelihood, it is a good idea to support their haul – you’d be hard pressed to find fresher snoek, White Stumpnose, White Steenbras, lobster, mussels or abalone anywhere. Don’t leave Cape Town without eating the fleshy indigenous fish, snoek, and snoek roe. Snoek is the most popular fish to barbecue in Cape Town, thanks to its size, meatiness and superiot taste. Snoek roe is the caviar of this fish species: fried in a light batter, the eggs are an exceptionally delectable delicacy!

Looking for the best places to grab a bite of seafood? Try Sharky’s – the palatable fish parcels are definitely big enough for two people.

Paternoster Bay

After Saldanha and then Jacobsbaai, this is a likely next big stop. This sleepy, affluent seaside town has not changed its character over many years. As a result, it is great for a truly secluded weekend getaway. From visiting the lighthouse to Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, there are many quaint things that will make your stay memorable. One of them has to be dining at Reuben’s in Kriedoring Street. Few dining experiences will beat the fine, rustic, hearty and award-winning cuisine of a Reuben’s restaurant anywhere – acclaimed chef de cuisine Reuben Riffel is not a masterchef judge, leading cookbook author and firm fan favourite for no reason!

Britannia Bay and St Helena Bay

Further up the coast you’ll reach Britannia Bay, a private-type enclave in St Helena Bay. Go golfing, boating, visiting the lighthouse and other local historical buildings, exploring up the mountainside or otherwise just enjoying this novel locality. Plans are underway for a waterfront but this has not yet materialised.

A quick note on water in the Cape

Climate change has caused unprecedented change to the amount of winter rainfall Cape Town traditionally receives. As a result, Cape Town is now a water scarce city. Tourism is vital to this much-loved travel destination and the city warmly welcomes inbound foreign travel. Tourists, along with locals, are gently reminded to be water conscious whenever possible though. There is always an adequate water supply in guest accommodation but simple actions such as not leaving taps running or showers dripping contribute hugely to the efforts to combat water wastage.

Recommended car hire

One of the frustrations tourists or even residents often have when requiring quick, efficient car hire is having to produce a credit car. Betta Car Hire also offers cash and debit card payment and hire conditions, starting from under R100 per day. This has seen this company grow tremendously in the small rented vehicle category, as evidence by Betta Car Hire Cape Town reviews.

These Betta Car Hire Cape Town reviews constantly point to super customer service, and a desire to be the best in this market segment. Betta Car Hire Cape Town reviews from locals in person who have used the service, also compare favorably.

Two other car hire companies also making significant inroads into the car hire market due to incredible service and value offerings are Eco Car Hire Cape Town and Cape Town Jet Ski car hire. Eco Car Hire Cape Town pride themselves on a hassle-free experience and are eager to troubleshoot whenever possible to find solutions to your car-hire conundrum.

Cape Town Jet Ski car hire is another disruption to the car hire market making an impact for its affordability, flexibility and reliability.