On slow coast of the west every name tells a story
• A fairy village, fish-and-slap-chips parcels and excellent mojitos are to be found at Jacobsbaai and even more elsewhere
It could certainly be said that most things look better through the mint-coloured frosting of a mojito glass. But the picture of Jacobsbaai in front of us, a calm and shallow idyll that even children can walk across, needs no enhancing.
Adopting my usual penchant for avoiding N-roads by dawdling along back roads and dirt tracks, it took us the best part of six hours to cover the 350km circuitous route from Bot River. That said, we’d garnered a boot-full of delicious Breedekloof wine en route and filled our minds with acres of calm.
One of these detours, Saldanha Bay, was a town I’ve not been back to since completing my Naval training there 40 years ago. On the quayside adjacent to the Sea Harvest plant, I sat on a rusty bollard and looked past the colourful trawlers to the crescent of white beach sandwiched in between the fishing harbour and the gritty steel terminal beyond it.
It was from this beach that a school friend’s father harvested seaweed and sent it to Japan. I remember him as a tuftedhaired professor-type who could turn his hand to almost anything. One of his creations was a self-made trimaran on which he hurtled us across the shimmering blue bay, an exhilarating introduction to the world of sailing.
Saldanha Bay was a smaller town back in the early 1970s, supported mainly by the fishing industry, the naval base and military academy. As for the now thriving coastal settlement of Jacobsbaai up the road where my wife, Annette, and I are spending the weekend, it was not even a twinkle in a developer’s eye.
Its back story is interesting. Around 1870, local importexport baron-to-be Carel Stephan (aka “Koring Koning”), fixed up a wreck of an old sailing vessel and nursed it to the northern shores of the Berg River where he anchored it. The large holds of this ship acted as a warehouse for the wheat he bought in bulk from local farmers and then shipped to Cape Town, and also as a storage facility for the various goods he imported to sell back to them.
Keen to protect their growing monopoly, Carel and his brother William happily traded farmers’ debts for leaseholds over their coastal-fronted properties. This desire arose from the fact that, back then, these coastal farms had landing rights and the more came under their control the less competition they had. A case in point was the farm that owned the landing rights to the seven small bays — they now constitute the coastal enclave of Jacobsbaai northwest of Saldanha — which the Stephans secured with a 99-year lease in lieu of a debt owed by the farm’s owner.
It was apparently a search by a deeds office employee around 1990 that uncovered that this lease had expired and the opportunity to develop the land as a unique, yet traditionally styled west coast village was quickly seized by two developers. In 1994, seafront plots were advertised at R70,000 and today, if you can find one, they sell at more than R2m.
After our celebratory mojito in the town’s eponymous bay, we make our way slowly to our accommodation in the suburb off nearby Mauritz Bay (better known as Moerie-se-baai). Our host, Nico de Klerk, hails from the once neat and proud farming town of Jacobsdal in the Free State, but the parlous state of its basic services and roads had driven him south.
He recommends we take in the sunset from the World War 2 watchtower (one of two apparently erected to monitor U-boat movements off Saldanha Bay) on the edge of the thin peninsula that separates Moerie-se-baai from Kwaaibaai.
Once we reach the coastline we join the there-and-back loop to the watchtower that forms part of the town’s coastal hiking trail. At the top of the square tower the four viewing cut-outs command a 360º view of the sea and the village, and we regret not bringing our camping chairs, snacks and a sundowner.
The next day we set off on a circumnavigation of the Cape Columbine peninsula. Unfortunately, there’s no public coastal track from Jacobsbaai into the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, so we head back to Vredenburg — the bustling market town that serves all the surrounding coastal villages — and then make for the touristy town of Paternoster.
If it is gourmet food, characterful pubs, art galleries, e-bikes to hire and “fresh” lobster (much of it sold illegally) you want, then modern-day Paternoster is for you. There’s no denying the burgeoning commercialism here since the 1990s, but its situation and topography are arguably the most picturesque on this large peninsula; and it’s thankfully still managed to keep its west coast character intact.
We opt to dodge the crowds and covert crayfish vendors and head for Tietiesbaai. There are various stories about how the bay got its name. These range from a vaguely breast-shaped outcrop between Paternoster and Tietiesbaai to a more easily pronounceable evolution of Jacques Titius’ surname, a coastal trader of yore. Interestingly, it’s the same man’s first name that’s touted as one of the origins of Jacobsbaai’s nomenclature, apparently evolving from Jacques to Jacob in the process.
If you love wild and pristine coastline, it’s worth spending a couple of hours in Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. As the boom goes up (R31/day/visitor) the beauty of the granite boulder-lined shore, fringed with contours of greens, aquamarines and deep blues, greets us and we drive all of 100m before having to stop and take it all in. A family close by, settled in under a capacious sunshade, were clearly smitten by the same wow-factor that stopped us in our tracks and thought: why go further?
But we persist all the way to Tietiesbaai, and even to Moordbaai beyond. After enjoying a quick seaside picnic on a bench above Tietiesbaai and earmarking a few camping spots we’d like to come back to, we make for the next destination on our circumnavigation: Stompneusbaai.
In an effort to go as far north as possible we head for Cape St Martin, but the maze of minor roads and cul-de-sacs in this resort-and-estate-crowded area defeats us and we are relieved to eventually strike an access point to a beach somewhere just west of the cape itself. A walk along the shoreline reveals the first stretch of individually styled, non-west coast architecture we’ve seen thus far and it strikes a chord with our inner mavericks.
After making a turn at the Vasco Da Gama monument — he landed here on November 8 1497 — we stop in at St Helena Bay’s harbour. Yes, we want to top-up on another typical west coast harbour tableau before heading back for our date with the world-renowned Pixie and Fairy Village in Jacobsbaai, but this harbour is also home to BP Marine Fish Products that sell an excellent fish-and-slap-chips parcel — something no selfrespecting west coast road tripper would be replete without.
Travel notes
Where it is and how to get there: Jacobsbaai is on the southwest coastline of the Cape Columbine peninsula; an 18km drive from the town of Saldanha and 150km northwest of Cape Town. The best route is the R27 accessed from Milnerton, and, if you’ve got time, a transit through the West Coast National Park is always a good idea.
What sort of vehicle will I need on this trip: all of it is doable in a normal sedan vehicle, but a higher clearance SUV (preferably with diff-lock) is advisable if you want to explore the side routes and more distant picnic spots in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.
What Jacobsbaai has to offer: this quiet coastal enclave, with
IF YOU LOVE WILD AND PRISTINE COASTLINE, IT’S WORTH SPENDING A COUPLE OF HOURS IN CAPE COLUMBINE NATURE RESERVE
its seven small bays that all have something slightly different to offer the outdoors lover, is a perfect place to rest and unwind. I’d recommend a walk along the coastal path (take binoculars for birdwatching); a dip in Jacobsbaai; sundowners in the old World War 2 watchtower and, most certainly, a visit to the enchanting Pixie and Fairy Village on the edge of town. The town has a few restaurants, and, while we selfcatered and enjoyed excellent mojitos only at the Weskusplek, we read and heard good things about the food there, as well as at O’Driscoll’s (restaurant, event and retreat venue) and the Bay Deli at the entrance to the town.
What to do in the region: if you like day drives, then the Cape Columbine peninsula circumnavigation (about 115km starting in Jacobsbaai) described above is a must. If you get going early you’ll be able to savour some of the many foodie and other tourist venues and activities in Paternoster; or have a languid lunch in Cape Columbine Nature Reserve and explore the eastern seaboard at a more leisurely pace. On your way back to Cape Town, also consider the short detour off the R27 to the West Coast Fossil Park, a world-class destination.
Where we stayed: Die Jacobsdaller in the Mauritz Bay area. While it’s set back from the coast and has only a marginal sea view, the two ground-floor apartments are private, spacious, clean, comfortable and bright. Many thoughtful extras, such as fruit; a ready-made braai fire and welcome drinks were also provided. We paid R500/night for two adults (out of season) — excellent value. Contact Nico de Klerk on 083 255 2628.
Best time of year to go: August to April.