Saldanha Bay on the Cape West Coast, 137km from Cape Town, is situated on the deepest natural bay in South Africa and is not surprisingly home to a large Naval training base, the South African Military Academy and a whole fleet of fishing vessels. Saldanha Bay is the industrial hub of the area, from which vast quantities of iron ore, from Sishen in the Northern Cape, are milled and exported, and is home to seafood-processing industries.
The natural wonder of the bay, which stretches across to Langebaan in the south, has put Saldanha on the map as an eco-tourism destination. It attracts kite surfers, water skiers and deep sea divers as well as the yachting fraternity (the Saldanha Bay Yacht Club is in Smitswinkel Bay 33°01.080′S 17°56.000′E).
Still known for its fish, yellowtail and tuna are easy catches and snoek runs in winter, anglers and divers enjoy the fruits of the sea including crayfish in season, from November to April (licence required for all fishing). When the action is done, enjoy fresh seafood catches at the restaurants along the water’s edge.
The sea life is impressive and boat trips leave from the harbour to immerse you in this marine experience of whales (June to November), dolphins and sea birds, including seagulls, cormorants, Cape gannets, duikers and terns in vast numbers.
The SAS Saldanha Nature Reserve, accessible by following the main road to the Military Academy boom gate, is criss-crossed by an network of easy MTB and hiking trails ranging between 4km to 14kms.
During late winter and early spring, there is a show of wild flowers and during whale season, whales visit the shores of the reserve. Many of the trails run right next to the sea and offer some bird watching and game viewing opportunities.
Don’t miss the “Hoedjieskop”-Reserve, a hill in the middle of the town offering magnificent photo opportunities with 360 degree views of the town, Table Mountain and flowers in spring.
Saldanha is close to the West Coast National Park, the surrounding coastal villages of Langebaan and Paternoster, the commercial centre of Vredenburg and the West Coast Fossil Park, which has one of the largest displays of late Tertiary vertebrate fossils in the world.
Getting there: from Cape Town, take the R27 West Coast road. Turn left at the R399/Saldanha turn off and follow this road to the T-junction. Here, turn left and follow the road into the town of Saldanha.
Read our detailed information on the West Coast at ShowMe West Coast.
