West Coast Road Trip
The West Coast is close to Cape Town, but it quickly feels like a different world. This three-day trip follows the R27 through Langebaan, Paternoster, Port Owen and Lambert’s Bay, with seafood, fossils and local art along the way.
Highlights include:
- Eating roosterkoek on Route 27
- Having a seafood dinner at Die Strandloper
- Visiting the fossil beds at West Coast Fossil Park
- Browsing local art and crafts at the Art Shed at the Wharf
- Eating seafood at De See Kat
- Sailing from Port Owen Marina
- Stopping for breakfast at The Hobnobbery
- Eating at Isabella’s Restaurant in Lambert’s Bay
South Africa road trip from Cape Town to Lambert's Bay (269 km, about 5 hours driving). Plan this trip with Sideroads Africa.
Stops along the way
- Cape Town
- Roosterkoek Route 27: Roadside roosterkoek stop on the R27 West Coast route.
- Die Strandloper: West Coast open-air seafood restaurant near Langebaan.
- Calypso Sunset Accommodation: Langebaan Calypso Beach guest house for lagoon sunsets before the N7 run north
- GB Coffee Cafe: Langebaan waterfront cafe on Bree Street — house-roasted coffee, breakfasts, and light meals
- West Coast Fossil Park: Mio-Pliocene fossil site at Langebaanweg — visitor centre and walkways over bone beds of extinct African fauna, a short detour inland from Langebaan.
- Art Shed at the Wharf: Gallery and craft shed in Paternoster’s Crayfish Wharf — local paintings ceramics and jewellery in the old crayfish factory.
- De See Kat: West Coast seafood restaurant.
- Ah! Guest House: Owner-run Paternoster guesthouse on Mosselbank Street — art-filled rooms and a communal breakfast table.
- The Hobnobbery: Women-run Paternoster deli and café on St Augustine Road — breakfast coffee and a shop of local goodies.
- Port Owen Sailing Charters: Private yacht charters from Port Owen Marina in Velddrif — sunset sails and St Helena Bay cruises.
- Isabella's Restaurant: Harbour-front Lambert’s Bay lunch with Bird Island in view — West Coast seafood sushi and a mussel-shell floor since 1996.
- Sea Breeze Accommodation: Self-catering flats on Voortrekker Street in Lambert’s Bay — a short walk from the beach and Bird Island.