West Coast National Park — Attraction in Saldanha Bay Local Municipality

Gorgeous national park with lots to do and see!

We visited the park for a few hours on a Sunday, and it is a must-see! The Geelbek Visitors Centre is small, but has a toilet to change into your cozzie, a small food truck for light snacks and an office (we thought we could get a map for the shipwreck trail on Tsaarsbank beach but we could not and the gentleman at the office was unfortunately not very helpful) where you can see the replica of Eve's footprints.

The Atlantic viewpoint is gorgeous and you can take a short walk if you like. We did not come prepared for Kraalbaai (however we did not come with a lot of time), so make sure to bring towels, cozzies, an umbrella for the sun and lots of sunblock! Kraalbaai is absolutely stunning and perfect as it is shallow and the water is pretty warm. Make sure to see Preekstoel at Kraalbaai as well! We also visited Tsaarsbank which is less busy than Kraalbaai but many come to braai with a stunning view. There is a shipwreck hike along Tsaarsbank, however it can feel like a never-ending walk to nowhere (beautiful though but be aware of the countless blue-bottles on the shore). There should be a little more signage for the shipwreck hike as there is very little information in the brochure and zero markers on the beach.

There are many more stops that we are planning to see on another trip, so arrive early to enjoy them all! Note that there is an entrance fee as usual...

It's a beautiful, majestic place with a spectacular atmosphere, but it is a long drive through the park, especially to the Postberg gate from the entrance of the park, so be prepared and include that in your travel time. It will take more than half a day if you go to many sites in the park. Check out the distances from place to place and plan for it. I liked that most roads were tarred except in the Postberg section where it get sandy and rocky. You don't really need a 4x4 to drive through but I'm sure it helps. If you can get a tour company to take you through I sense it may be easier. You can stop along the drive and take photos of the flowers, the scenery, and the ocean, but you can't turn back on some of the same roads, some are one-way only. Kraalbaai and the Atlantic viewpoint are beautiful as is Plankiesbaai where you can swim alongside the rock formations. Go on a weekday if you are coming from Cape Town because weekends are so busy around Cape Town it will take you a long time to get through the traffic. Also make sure you carry a jacket as it gets windy and cold. Make sure you also use the bathroom beforehand as I was unable to find a bathroom until the Uitkyk point. Also did not think there was a lot for children to do unless they are ok with a little walking and swimming in the cold ocean. You can also picnic in some parts...

We came for flower season and I’m filled with mixed reactions. The flowers are stunning! The behaviour from people visiting, not so much. Either have rules and enforce them or just don’t bother. Rules tell you to stay in your car and to not walk into flowers, yet all over there are paths trampled from people walking. I had the misfortune of watching a girl run through and trample a whole bunch of flowers and her boyfriend or whatever he was also drive his car over them 🙃 It makes me concerned and I wonder if there will be any flowers left one day. There are a few signs but people ignore them. We walked in some of the paths that I assume have been made by other guests just breaking the rules, but it’s hard to tell who made them. We saw Sanparks moaning at people about standing on rocks on the beach but as for the flowers, they don’t really care. I’m not sure what the solution is, but we went on a weekday and it was crazy busy, can’t imagine how it may be on a weekend. Maybe they need to limit numbers in Postberg and actually monitor the areas, maybe corner off some areas. Many drivers ruin it for others and speed through the park. Saw a dead bird on the road which...