Port Nolloth is the only seaside’ holiday resort’ on the Diamond Coast – the west coast of the Northern Cape. It is characterised by its harbour full of crayfish boats, its pretty houses, and by the lined characters who can tell you stories of days gone by, when alluvial diamonds could still be found in abundance and diamond smuggling tempted even the most staunchly moral.
Like all the diamond mining towns along the Diamond Coast, Port Nolloth’s diamond mining heyday is over, but the main source of employment in Port Nolloth is still diving for diamonds, the area still offers great rock fishing, the freshest crayfish (rock lobster) in South Africa, pretty little McDougall’s Bay caravan park right on the water, and the an interesting insights into the diamond mining history and biodiversity of the area at the Port Nolloth History Museum and Biodiversity Centre respectively.
The best way to describe the town of Port Nolloth is to say ‘imagine your classic beach house decor as a life-sized town’. The water may freeze your toes off, but the beach-combing is unequalled, the locals interesting, the seafood incomparable, and..well, it’s just very pretty, beachy, quaint and worth a visit if you are looking to eat well and enjoy blustery beach walks collecting keepsakes. If you are interested in the unique biodiversity and culture of Namaqualand and the Richtersveld, a visit to Port Nolloth will also round off your knowledge, providing the coastal piece of the ‘puzzle’.
Getting there: Take the N7 north from Springbok to Steinkopf, then turn left on to the R382 for Port Nolloth. The total travelling distance is about 150km.
Read our detailed information on Namaqualand.
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