"Yzerfontein? What’s there to do in Yzerfontein?" was the incredulous chorus from my bemused colleagues. Why not go to Langebaan, or further? Quite frankly, I was in dire need of some serious R&R, and the thought of long white beaches, a few houses and chilled-out locals all within an easy 45 minutes drive from Cape Town was greatly appealing.

On the road
A nature-lover’s haven, the spectacular West Coast is one of the most pristine strips of coastline in the Western Cape and famous for its seafood and friendly folk. As I glimpse the first West Coast signpost whizzing past, just beyond Table View, I can’t help but smile smugly as Table Mountain slowly shrinks in my rear view mirror, leaving the city buzz far behind.

New horizons always excite me and I am anticipating a very different Yzerfontein to the one somewhat hazily imprinted in my memory. I am curious, too, about the little inland town of Darling, made famous by Evita Bezuidenhout (Pieter-Dirk Uys) who is now something of a national icon. Let’s face it, no one paid Darling the slightest attention till Evita arrived on the scene!

The R27 has a generous speed limit of 120, so the 85km literally zoom by and I find myself at the Yzerfontein turn-off in no time. Right will take me to Darling along the R315, but it’s left I turn; Evita se Perron and the Darling of the West Coast will have to wait – this weekend I would be lavishing attention on no-one but myself.

Yzerfontein is clearly conservation territory, and the locals are fierce protectors of their beautiful heritage. So much so that the town’s public open space was declared a conservation area in 2003, adding to the 50 percent of land there that is already protected. Here, the Atlantic ocean teems with snoek and crayfish that are gratefully scooped up by the many locals who rely on nature’s generosity for a living.

Yesteryear
My memory of the area serves up fields of flowers in full bloom dancing between the scattered houses. Shops were hard to come by, as were people! But things have changed. Here in front of me is a small shopping complex with a seafood and steak restaurant, a post office and a variety of other smaller shops.

There are only three routes to choose from: left will take me past the petrol station to Pearl Bay, straight over and down will wind me past homes and either to the beach, or on past the tourist office to the small harbour, and, eventually, also to Pearl Bay. Do all roads in Yzerfontein lead to Pearl Bay I wonder?

Later, I discover another small complex with, amongst other things, a lovely little deli that serves food outside and the all-important liquor store with an impressive choice of local wines on offer. All this in just over 10 years!

B&B
Research reveals an impressive variety of accommodation options to suit any budget and preference, from B&Bs and guesthouses to self-catering and caravan parks. Naturally, I am drawn to names such as Harbour View and the like, but my budget rules out luxury, allowing only for rudimentary necessity. At R465 a night, that must be one helluva view!

So down a gravel road I head, past houses with quirky names such as 'Knot for Sail', 'No Name' and, my fave, 'Kom Nader', meaning 'Come closer' in Afrikaans, I drive through the foundations of what I am later to discover is yet another housing development and come to my chosen resting place, Auberge. I am instantly charmed. Rustic, beach-house style, shells scattered on the pathway, a stone’s throw from the beach and a scrumptious breakfast to look forward to, all for R165 per night, R145 for longer stays.

Chow down
I learn that Strandkombuis restaurant, Yzerfontein’s answer to Langebaan’s famous Die Strandloper, lies right next door and is open for bookings of 10 or more. Alas, I am unable to gather nine friends at such short notice and so set out in search of an alternative eatery. I am naturally drawn to the sea, and as I follow a road curving closely along the water’s edge am reminded of the Mediterranean, Greece in particular. I detour a little to explore the jetty at the small harbour and turn to survey the town from across this small bay.

Thousands of flowers carpet the shoreline in Spring.
My beady eye locates a restaurant called Beaches and once settled there, I obediently order the house speciality (seafood salad) and try not to make it too obvious that I am eavesdropping on a conversation about the local property market, which has grown by 300 percent in three years.

Small town charm
I've resigned myself to the fact that I may as well give up my facade and accept the unacceptable; I am totally and hopelessly in love with this quaint little village.

I love the fact that there is no bank. I love that I can walk for miles along a clean white sandy beach and not see anyone. I also love that my waitress lent me her phone when I ran out of airtime because she had free minutes, and I really love the fact that the manager at the petrol station stayed open to help me out.

I love how the main house of my B&B remained unlocked so I could snoop in at the wee hours to get a bottle opener, but most of all, I love the fact that my friend at the liquor store puts a mere 99c mark-up on local wines. As one local wisely said, ‘We West Coast folk like to keep things simple’.

    More on Yzerfontein...
  • Yzerfontein is about 45 minutes drive from Cape Town on the 'West Coast road', the R27.
  • Contact Auberge on (022) 451 2424, or Beaches on (022) 451 2200.
  • For more information on the region, visit www.capewestcoast.org