About
Yzerfontein & Surronds
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Yzerfontein also is known as a small village on the west coast of South Africa about 90 kilometers from Cape Town. The name in Dutch means “Iron Fountain”.The town started out when the farm ‘Yzerfontein’ was bought by the Katz-family in the 1930s.
It boasts the 16 Mile Beach, the longest uninterrupted beach on the South African coastline, with a spectacular view all the way to Table Mountain.
On the inside of the jetty another breakwater has been built at right angles to the old one and it faces east and forms a small basin that allows the fishing boats to launch in any weather.
16 Mile Beach
Stretching from just north of the main beach at Yzerfontein up to the West Coast National Park close to Langebaan, this is the longest uninterrupted sandy beach on the coastline of South Africa. The beach offers whale watching from September until November (calving season) and is very popular with sunbathers. The beach is ideal for kitesurfers, as it can be quite windy at certain times of the year and the long stretch of beach makes it good for beginners. There are also companies which offer outrides on the beach for horse-lovers, either at sunrise or sunset. Fishermen angle from the beach and rocks, collect mussels, with the small-craft harbour allowing for the launch of boats and jet skis.
Dassen Island
Dassen Island is an uninhabited South African island in the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated about 10 km west of Yzerfontein.
Dassen Island is South Africa’s second-largest Island after Robben Island and in the Atlantic Ocean and is home to the African penguin.
Dassen Island was declared a nature reserve in 1987 and is now managed by CapeNature, mainly to protect its seabirds. The African penguin is now classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List and listed on Appendix II of the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species).
West Coast National Park
The West Coast National Park lies 120 km north of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is 36,259.8 hectares in size. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the R27 coastal road and runs from the town of Yzerfontein in the south up to the Langebaan Lagoon.
Main Attractions
Kraalbaai Beach and Information Centre
Picnic/braai area at Tsaarsbank
Geelbek Visitors Centre
Hiking at Geelbek – Strandveld Trails
Eve’s Footprint and Trail
Bird watching
Flower Season (August – September)
Tel: +27 22 772-2144/5
Schaapeiland Hiking Trail
The Schaapeiland Hiking Trail skirts the edge of the village of Yzerfontein. A well-maintained footpath covered in crushed mussel shells is clearly signposted with white footprints to show the way.
Facilities
Surfing
Bird Watching
Whale watching
Hiking Trail
Bicycle Station
!Khwa ttu San Cultural & Education Centre
In 1998, the Working Group for Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) decided that the San needed assistance in unlocking potential tourism opportunities and showcasing San culture to the world. They turned to Swiss anthropologist Irene Staehelin, who agreed to help.
In 1999, guided by her own vision, and inspired by heritage centres in the USA and Canada, Irene bought an 850 hectare wheat farm, north of Cape Town on the West Coast of South Africa for the !Khwa ttu project.
!Khwa ttu opened to the public in 2006. In the following decade, inside the now restored farm buildings, it steadily developed its tourism offering and San training capabilities. Outside, the land was carefully rehabilitated and wildlife reintroduced.
Open Daily: 09:00 TO 17:00
Tel:+27 (0)22 492 2998
Whale watching
The bay is the annual springtime destination for Southern Right whales (June to November) who find their way down from the cold Antarctic to calve.
The cows calve in the calm waters in and around Yzerfontein.
Visitors can view these magnificent mammals at a number of look-out points: at the main beach, above the harbour in Arum Crescent, at Schaapen Island and the nature garden on top of the hill.
Water Sports
The harbour allows the launching of boats and jet skis in restricted areas.
You can enjoy kite and windsurfing, a variety of water sports, for example, bodyboarders, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, rubber duck races, boat trips out to sea and around Dassen Island.
The weather conditions are ideal for water sports throughout the year.
Darling Wine Route
The Darling Wine Route is less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Wines labels include Cloof, Groote Post, Darling Cellars, Ormonde and Tukulu. Farms offer wine tasting, and many have restaurants and accommodation on site.
Tel: +27(0)22 492 2825
West Coast Fossil Park
The fossil site of Langebaanweg is located in the West Coast Fossil Park, approximately 150 km north of Cape Town (a 11/2 hour drive), and is world-renowned for its exceptionally well-preserved fossil faunal remains that date to the terminal Miocene/early Pliocene (circa 5.2 million years ago).
Tel: +27 (0)22 766 1606
Email: edu@fossilpark.org.za
Physical Address: R45, Langebaanweg, Vredenburg, West Coast
Weekdays: 09:00 – 16:00
Tour Times to the dig site: 11.00h, 12.30h, 14.00h
Saturday, Sunday & Public holidays: 09:30 – 13:00
Tour Times to the dig site: 11.00h, 12.00h
Grotto Bay Private Nature Reserve
The Nature Reserve contains important fragments of Swartland Shale Renosterveld, a vegetation type considered 100% irreplaceable in the original Cape Action Plan for People and the Environment (CAPE). It is classified as Critically Endangered in the 2004 National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment.
It’s a 500-hectare private nature reserve filled with walking trails, birds, the possibility of sighting whales, unpolluted skies and, during spring, a bevy of wildflowers.
BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION
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Cell: +27(0)76 383 4316
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