West Coast National Park

Postberg is open! The wildflowers in this special section of the park attract thousands of visitors during August and September. Come early and enter the park at the main gate on the R27. Follow signs to Kraalbaai, about 20 km away. On the way there, turn off to the viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Have coffee and sandwiches at Kraalbaai and look out over the turquoise water that laps against green hills in the distance. Houseboats and yachts bob in the bay and it’s easy to imagine that you’re on a tropical island – if the water weren’t so cold!

Walk along the beach to the Preekstoel rock formation, which looks like a pulpit. Spend some time here if you want to, but make sure you get to Postberg by 9 am. You’ll see eland and springbok grazing in fields of yellow, orange and white daisies and maybe even a bat-eared fox darting across the road. Once you’ve driven all the roads in the Postberg section, pull over at Plankiesbaai. Stretch your legs and walk up the hill for a view of the pristine beach below. If you do the two-day Postberg hike, this is where you’ll spend the night.

For lunch, visit the park’s Geelbek restaurant. The bobotie is delicious. End your day at the Seeberg viewpoint on the eastern shore of the lagoon, where the wildflowers are just as pretty as they are in Postberg. On a clear day you can see Table Mountain in the distance. The Langebaan gate is beckoning – as is the road home -but give yourself an extra few minutes to soak up the view of the peaceful lagoon.

How to get there? The park is about 120 km north of Cape Town.

Gate times: 7 am to 7 pm. Postberg is only open during August and September, from 9 am to 5 pm.