Aah, Langebaan … few towns in South Africa exude as much of a beachy-breakaway feel as this spread-out dorp shimmering along the West Coast shores. You could just as well be stepping onto a Greek island when you wander down to the beach from your chalet here: indigo skies, turquoise seas, colourful fishing boats, and beach bodies galore.
Virtual year-round summer, safely shelving water perfect for water sport and consistent winds means Langebaan rates as a world-class wind sport destination, with kite boarders, wind surfers and the yachting set congregating here from around the world. The tidal estuary in Langebaan is the focal point for many of them, and on weekends the sky is a colourful melee of sails and kites. The tidal mudflats attract a vast range of migratory birds annually, while resident species include the Greater and Lesser flamingo.
The world’s largest breeding colony of Black harriers also occur in the area, and it is therefore no wonder Langebaan is an internationally acclaimed RAMSAR site. And yes, you’ve guessed it – the climate is gorgeously Mediterranean.
By Jacques Marais
Langebaan Lagoon, which lies just south of St Helena Bay, is one of the ecological wonders of Southern Africa. Every spring more than 50 000...
The Cape West Coast, stretching north from Table Mountain towards the Langebaan estuary, epitomises everything that is boarding bliss. Faith...
After the battle of Saldanha between the Dutch and the English in 1781, things settled down again in the Langebaan area, until an astute bus...
The history behind the name 'Langebaan' is quite interesting. When the Dutch settlers arrived they made Saldanha Bay their first safe port o...
Kraal Bay in Langebaan Lagoon south of the entrance to the sea, was named from the Portuguese word curral. A “kraal” is an enclosure/pen...
The deep marine inlet of Langebaan Lagoon, which is not really a lagoon, is situated at the heart of the West Coast National Park. The area ...
Flower season in the Cape is something magical to behold - Experience the beauty of spring wild flowers on The Cape Flower Season Route....
At Friday Island, in Langebaan Lagoon on the West Coast, they say life is one long weekend, and it certainly seems like it with its endless ...