1The West Coast National Park is hard to beat. The speed limit is 50km/h on the park’s good tar roads, but there’s not much traffic anyway. You’re more likely to encounter a skittish ostrich than an irate BMW driver.

The scenery is spectacular. The main road skirts the Langebaan Lagoon, in all its shades of blue and green.

The scenery is spectacular. The main road skirts the Langebaan Lagoon, in all its shades of blue and green, and the veld is absolutely choked with wildflowers in spring. That’s not to say spring is the only time to ride – the park is great all year round, just as long as the south-easter isn’t trying to rip you off your bike.

There are two entrances: one off the R27 and another in Langebaan. It’s best to park at the Langebaan gate and start there. You can ride around the lagoon to Kraalbaai and back (about 70km) or you can ride to the Geelbek viewpoint and back (about 30km). 

Kraalbaai is a sheltered beach with white sand and turquoise water, where houseboats bob gently at their moorings. You could be in Greece. Strip down if it’s warm enough and have a halfway swim in your bibs. You only live once. 

If you’re more of a mountain biker, there are two mellow routes from the Langebaan gate featuring a mix of tar and gravel; both could probably be done on a gravel bike. The Green Trail is about 12km long with 120m of elevation, and the Red Trail is 17km long with 200m of elevation. 

The hilly headland at the park’s north-western end is called Postberg. It’s the best place in the reserve to see flowers; but it’s private land, so it’s only open during August and September. Postberg has a separate entrance, just beyond Kraalbaai. If you visit during spring, the non-cyclists in your group can go for a walk among the daisies while you pedal. 

Afterwards, get changed and reward your efforts with lunch in Langebaan. There are lots of restaurant options, for everything from pizza to prawns. We can highly recommend the freshly steamed Saldanha Bay mussels (R180) at La Petite Maison in the Farmhouse Hotel (lapetitemaisonrestaurant.co.za); they have an excellent kids’ menu, too. 

A quick coffee for the road, and it’s only an hour and a bit back to Cape Town. What a day!

The Details

START/FINISH: Langebaan gate, West Coast National Park
DISTANCE: It’s up to you. You can do a 12km gravel loop, or a 70km-plus out-and-back along quiet tar roads.
ELEVATION GAIN: The park is relatively flat. Over 70km, you’ll climb about 580m.
COST: Outside flower season, entrance to the park costs R74 per adult and R37 per child aged 2-11. During flower season (August and September) the rate goes up to R110 per adult and R55 per child, including entrance to the Postberg section. Entrance is free if you have a SANParks Wild Card, and there’s no extra cost to ride your bike at any time of the year.
MORE INFO: sanparks.org/parks/west-coast

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