Elands Bay

Elands Bay sits on the West Coast where the Atlantic wraps around a rocky headland to create a consistent left-hand point break. The wave is well-known among surfers who have been making the drive up the R27 and R399 for decades. It is not a secret, but the village has never capitalised on that attention. The rambling streets of low houses, the crayfish factory on the waterfront, the boats on derricks above the water — none of it was designed for visitors. It just is what it is.

The crayfish factory is a working reminder of what the town was built for. West Coast lobster, called crayfish locally, is the real industry here. The season runs from mid-November to the end of April and the town smells like it. During the open season, both locals and visitors bring crayfish in from the bay and braai them on the beach. If you time your visit right, this is one of the better meals available anywhere on the coast for the money.

Behind the village, the Verlorenvlei wetland stretches inland along the Berg River system. It is one of the largest estuaries on the West Coast, home to over 180 bird species including flamingos and pelicans. The vlei is best visited early morning. The Cederberg caves near Elands Bay contain some of the finest San rock art in the Western Cape — the Elands Bay Cave is a significant archaeological site with paintings estimated at several thousand years old.

The atmosphere is rough around the edges. There is one main shop, a pub, and a takeaway. The wind blows hard from the south-east in summer. None of that bothers the people who love this place, which is most of the people who visit it.