Cottages on the West Coast
Once Paternoster was a cluster of little fishers' cottages on the West Coast and a hotel that boasted a Panty Bar. While the village has kept its name and remains a barnacle cluster of little cottages, it has grown somewhat, and there are lots of new holiday homes.
However, unlike some other once-lovely old Cape fishing villages, all the new places here – built in white-wall, black-roof, Cape cottage style – are hard to distinguish from the old.
Be sure to get up early and go for a walk along the beach and see the little fishing boats (some have small engines, most are still rowed) going out to set their nets. The golden light glazes the beach and bay, while terns and seagulls flutter above like feathered confetti. You could easily fall in love with the place.
Tietiesbaai
Drive the scenic three kilometres past the Paternoster Hotel to reach Cape Columbine or venture even a little further to Tietiesbaai, where there's a beautiful but basic campsite. In summer, do the trip in a sea kayak, or go in spring when the famous coast flowers are blooming.
This is prime crayfishing country. So long as you've got a permit and you follow the new fishing regulations, you can enjoy that local custom of a crayfish beach braai washed down with either soetes (fortified wine) or the fisher's friend, Old Brown Sherry.
At Columbine Nature Reserve on the West Coast, you can set up your tent between the boulders on the edge of Tietiesbaai, in the little rocky nooks and between small bays. Wake up in the morning to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean gently lapping the rocks, and seabirds patrolling the skies.
Accommodation in Paternoster represents the relaxed atmosphere of the fishing village and its friendly occupants....
Paternoster is the quintessential old Cape fishing village on the West Coast of South Africa. There’s enough in Paternoster to keep you sa...