IF YOU GO . . .

GETTING THERE: From Cape Town, drive through Bloubergstrand and take the R27 coast road. Stay on the R27 till the signpost Yzerfontein (left) and Darling (right). Alternatively, take the N7 to Malmesbury, then the R315. Takes just over an hour.

WHERE TO STAY: @Lisa’s unassuming selfcatering apartment is at the far end of town. R200 pppn. You’ll find Trinity Guest Lodge ( trinitylodge.co.za ) and many other B&Bs, guesthouses, farm and home stays on darlingtourism.co.za . EAT and DRINK: Try Bistro Seven ( bistrosevendarling.co.za ) and Maison de L’amour coffee shop ( maisondelamour.co.za ). The Marmalade Cat does breakfast, lunch, tea, Friday night pizzas.

The Darling Wine Shop carries all regional wines. Outside the shop on Saturday mornings, “Under the Gazebo” has foodies Cathy and Peter Hall serving specialist dishes ( westcoastfoodies.co.za ). For Darling Brew’s Slow Quarter food-andbeer pairings and tastings, see darlingbrew.co.za . WHAT ELSE TO SEE and DO: Visit the Book League bookshop ( bookleague.co.za ) and antique shop in the Mantis Mall.

For action, there is the Darling Brew Extreme MTB challenge; Run Cape Town Does Darling offers guided sightseeing runs; Darling Stagger is a guided foodie hiking trail; and there’s the Darling Golf Club.

Finally, the Darling Museum, originally the Butter Museum, is in the old town hall.

BIRD BOX: There are five different Darling birding routes running through diverse vegetation, farmland, renosterveld and wildflower reserves, the natural habitats of many different species. Nearby is the Ramsar site at the Langebaan lagoon. There are details and a checklist on

darlingtourism.co.za . Take a bird book,

binoculars and GPS.