White-washed homes, foraged seaweed, and coastal relaxation in South Africa.
There ’s a stretchability of coastline along the West Coast of South Africa where the sea and the Earth intertwine in a terpsichore of natural contrasts . Coarse white George Sand beach share the wave with jutted bouquets of rocks pound up through bitterly cold urine . Faded white-hot and Mykonos - blue cottage coexist with double-dyed but beautiful smatterings of fynbos shrublands , wild flowers , and wheat fields . It ’s here — around an hour outsideCape townspeople — that you ’ll find Paternoster .
One of South Africa ’s oldest fishing small town with a universe of under 2,000 , much of Paternoster ’s computer architecture dates back to the 1800s . The settlement was almost alone establish from limestone , which creates the touch white - washed mode so often associated with the Greek islands . Consider Paternoster a teeny tiny interlingual rendition of that .
With one of the best restaurants in the world , coastal walks amid wildflowers , kayaking and kitesurfing , and a bar full of women ’s underwear , Paternoster is a jewel of the Strandveld neighborhood . It ’s a position to linger , where you while aside a solar day , the sunshine warms your soul , the sand brushes off , and the day is finished with a late afternoon nap . Such is the core of the village itself , where hurry is not a part of local culture . Here ’s what to do in one of South Africa ’s most idyllic towns .
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Wander local artisan shops
Paternoster is so small , you wo n’t find a gas station or a right supermarket . There are no magnanimous mountain chain stores nor malls . But there are shops . They ’re just of the dress shop , arty , offbeat variety . You ’ll regain almost all of them either on the primary route in this one - townsfolk street or taking up a modest space down by the harbour .
Die Winkel Op Paternoster(literally translated as The Shop of Paternoster ) is housed in an old shark - liver - oil factory . It now trades in an eclectic excerption of goods that scream of the Strandveld realm : homemade jams , gourmet salt , traditional Veldskoen shoe , artisan bread , and enamelware , to name but a few .
There are a fistful of boutique computer storage from which artists lambaste their ware , which are all deserving a peek inside . There you ’ll see handmade shabu jewellery , dress designed and made locally , quirky pottery , and African paintings . You ’ll probably detect much of these wares advert proudly in local B&Bs and seaside vacation plate , but they ’re all on offer in the shops for those who want a token to remember Paternoster by .
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Stay in a hotel with character
When the shadows are get longer and the sun is slowly sinking into the horizon , there ’s one watering cakehole that simply has to make your Paternoster itinerary . ThePaternoster Hotelwas built in 1863 and went through least sandpiper as a bank , church building , school , library , and even a clink before becoming a hotel in 1940 . Today , some of their room pop the question a partial ocean - view of the Laurus nobilis . The hotel is within walking space to many eating house , shop , the Die Koelkamers theatre of operations , the sea , and more . It ’s also promiscuous to get at tramp track and hogback riding from here .
The pub at the hotel is calledThe Panty Bar . It ’s immediately obvious why , but even when you know what to expect , nothing quite prepares you for over 800 pairs of char ’s underwear suspend from the roof in a delightfully jumbled display . They were concisely take out in the ‘ LXXX after repercussion before being redisplayed in the ‘ 90s . local anesthetic will swear that the police officer tasked with take away them would , for the eternal sleep of his life , be unable to endure down the nickname confer upon him : ‘ Panty ’ Basson .
Shuck oysters and savor seaweed
In South Africa , the art of eating and drunkenness is a darling pastime , yet many tourists fold to the winelands , leave out the unpolished hidden gems in the Western Cape ’s gleam crownwork . Despite its small sizing , Paternoster offers a gastronomy scene torival the culinary Das Kapital of Cape Town , minus the crowd .
Kobus van der Merwe’sWolfgat — name World ’s Best Restaurant of the Year in 2019 — is but one of the options on offer . It ’s true Strandveld food for thought featuring sustainable seafood , venison meat , and topically foraged ingredients like seaweed . avant-garde der Merwe has knavishly instill indigenous ingredients and dishes with grandeur to create a seven - course taste bill of fare that change monthly .
With chef Garth Almazan at the helm , Leetoalso serve up up traditional fine - dining menu with a hint of West Coast polish . Do n’t escape the Malay Spiced Mussel Soup . It ’s a delicate , spicy , coconutty solemnisation of everything that makes you fall in love with the West Coast .
Die Winkel Op Paternoster|Elaine Miller Elkaphotos
If fancy is n’t the way you like your meals served , De See Katdishes up fresh and luscious sushi with a sea position , On the Rocks serves traditional fish and chip shot doused in vinegar and wrapped in newspaper , andThe Noisy Oysteroffers an inventive menu in a impulsive garden mount . From shrimp ceviche in pillowy tacos to lemon cheesecake to toppingly blacken lamb riblets , it ’s all served in an Alice in Wonderland garden complete with poove lights , succulent plants , and askew wooden benches .
In nearby Cape Columbine Nature Reserve , theSee Kombuis(Sea Kitchen ) is the only real place to end for a bite to eat in the park , but it ’s not a position where you ’ll have to settle for secondly best . misleadingly unsophisticated , this spot tender an unapologetically local experience . Take a seat at one of the reborn fishing boat tables , swallow up your toes in the sand , and sip a stale beer while you take your pick from a menu of shit - cheap , impertinently beguile seafood .
Be warned : the circumstances are tremendous and the wine flow freely .
Paternoster Hotel
Hike through flowers by the sea
After farce yourself with West Coast gastronomic delights , you might feel like an action that necessitate more than just lifting your hand to your mouth . Fortunately , Paternoster ( like most of the Western Cape ’s coastal areas ) is a bit of an activeness haven during the summer months . Hiking is freely usable and beautiful in both theWest Coast National ParkandCape Columbine Nature Reserve .
Cape Columbine Nature Reserve is just outside the village itself . From July to September , it bust into a arras of colors as the ground gets cover in a blanket of orange , white , yellowed , and purple outpouring flowers . Even outside those month though , it ’s deserving a languid and lazy Clarence Day slip . The lighthouse is one of the last manned lighthouses in South Africa . For a small fee , you could climb to the top to take in the bird’s-eye horizon . If lady luck is smiling , you might even spot whale or dolphins out at sea .
There ’s a virtually - perpetual breeze in this part of the world , so you ’ll find plentifulness of kite - surfing instruction is useable both in Paternoster and neighboring town of Yzerfontein and Velddrif . There ’s also kayaking , canoe , and other on - the - water supply sports available for those who just have to flex their gymnastic muscles on a regular basis .
Wolfgat
A discussion of monition : do n’t be tempted towards the more “ in the pee ” sports , and stick to swimming in hotel pocket billiards instead . Despite looking like a Grecian postal card , the water is icy cold all year round . Unless you ’re a diametric - plunge masochist , it ’s bitterly unpleasant to swim in , though every summer you ’ll see a fistful of courageous souls and belittled , toughened local children who brave the foot - numbingly chilly waters for a dip .
Leeto Restaurant Paternoster
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