The #WILDflowers2016 Season is here and we have the best festivals, shows and places to go and view this spectacular display on the West Coast Way! Book amazing accommodation on the West Coast Way and make a weekend out of it.

Festivals

Hopefield Fynbosskou

Date: 25 – 28 August

Location: Hopefield Sports Club

Contact: [email protected] | +27 73 100 0357 | +27 22 723 1720

Part of the Foodie and Scenic Route | Hopefield

Description: August month in Hopefield is Fynbos month. A beautiful display of all the fynbos around the Cape West Coast’s oldest town packed with a beer and food tent, kids games and informative talks. Get to meet all the talented locals!

Clanwilliam Wildflower Festival

Date: 26 August – 3 September

Location: Clanwilliam

Contact: www.clanwilliamwildflowerfestival.co.za

Description: The Clanwilliam Wildflower Festival has taken root around the annual Clanwilliam Wildflower Show, running for 41 years this year.

99th Darling Wildflower Show

Date: 16 – 18 September

Time: 09:00 – 17:00

Location: Darling

Contact: 084 916 1111 | [email protected]

Part of the Culture and Scenic Route | Darling

Description: The Darling Wildflower Society has held a show virtually every year since that first show in 1917. The ideals expressed by the founders still hold true today. They wanted to display Darling’s God-given wealth for the world to see. At the same time they promoted the conservation of flowers amongst the farmers of the district, who have since maintained the botanical diversity of the region over several generations.

The show has a beautiful display of Wildflowers, a wine experience, hop on hop off shuttles to Darling Museum and back, loads of craft and food stalls, tractor rides to flower conservation areas and the friendly people of Darling to welcome you.

Buy your tickets here: www.darlingwildflowers.co.za

Top places to view the flowers:

Blaauwberg Nature Reserve

Known as the official beginning of the Cape West Coast flora, the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve has spectacular views across the cityscape and coastline, including one of the few in the world where you can see two World Heritage Sites – Table Mountain and Robben Island.

Its wetland has an abundance of plant, mammal, bird and reptile species, as well as various amphibians.

Part of the Culture Route on the R27
Where: Cape Farms, just north of Blaauwberg on the R27 or Otto Du Plessis Drive
Contact:  +27 (0)21 554 0957 | +27 (0)21 444 0454 (Eerstesteen Resort)

Darling Renosterveld Reserve

The Darling Renosterveld Reserve was donated by the local Darling authority and is under the care of the Darling Wildflower Society.

The reserve is open all year round and entrance is free, but if you want to see the landscape transform into a carpet of colourful spring flowers the best time to visit is between July and October.

The reserve also hosts the annual, century-old Darling Wildflower Show. Don’t miss this year’s show on from 18-20 September 2015.

Part of the Culture Route and Scenic Route connecting the R27 and N7
Where:  Darling, on the R304
Contact: +27 (0)22 492 3361,  [email protected] | www.darlingtourism.co.za

Tienie Versfeld Wild Flower Reserve

This little flower reserve is an absolute gem with generous displays of springtime flowers sprouting from a vast array of veld types.

It’s also a unique remnant of grassland, fynbos and a seasonal wetland within the Swartland, and particularly valued for its bulbous plants.

Part of the Culture Route and Scenic Route connecting the R27 and N7
Where:  Darling, on the R304
Contact: +27 (0)22 492 3361 | [email protected] | www.darlingtourism.co.za

Groenekloof Reserve

Situated near the Tienie Versfeld Wild Flower Reserve, the Groenekloof Reserve offers a variety of flowers including Hermannia (lanterns-Poproos), Arctotis (daisies), Drossera (Snotroesie), Chlorophytum and Moraeari tripetala (blue)

Part of the Culture Route and Scenic Route connecting the R27 and N7
Where:  Darling, (R315 alongside the SPCA premises)
Contact: +27 (0)22 492 3361 | [email protected] | www.darlingtourism.co.za

Waylands Wildflower Reserve

Waylands Farm, 6km from Darling, has been in the Duckitt family for six generations.

The reserve is open to the public during the flower season and is home to some 300 species with fields of Blue Flaks (Heliophila), Ixia and Arums making themselves visible from the roof.

The Waylands Wildflower Reserve is part of the critically endangered Lowland Fynbos Biome, of which less than 1% remains.

Part of the Culture Route and Scenic Route connecting the R27 and N7
Where: Off the R307 which runs between Mamre and Darling.
Contact: +27 (0)22 492 3361 | [email protected] |  www.darlingtourism.co.za

Contreberg

Another one of the flower hotspots clustered around Darling.

The reserve contains a seasonally wet, Swartland Granite Renosterveld area of approximately 10 ha with one of the last populations of a critically endangered orchid species called pteryogodium cruciform.

Part of the Culture Route and Scenic Route connecting the R27 and N7
Where: Next to the R307 on the way to Mamre,
Contact: +27 (0)22 492 3361 |  [email protected] | www.darlingtourism.co.za

Postberg

One of the most visited flower hotspots in the Cape West Coast.

Even though it’s part of the West Coast National Park, the Postberg Flower Reserve is not always open to make sure it’s as undisturbed as possible until spring, when it truly rewards the wait.

Keep an eye out for zebra, wildebeest, antelope, ostrich, mongoose, Rock hyrax, snakes, birds, tortoises and of course, a mindboggling display of flowers.

Part of the Foodie Route on the R27
Opening dates: 1 August – 30 September
Where: West Coast National Park, Langebaan, Cape West Coast
Contact: +27 (0)22 772 2144

Paternoster

One of the oldest villages on the West Coast, Paternoster is well known for its warm, generous and hospitable people wonderfully complemented by an array of flowers in spring.

Part of the Foodie Route on the R27
Where: Paternoster, R399
Contact: +27 (0)22 752 2323 | [email protected] | www.paternoster.info

Cape Columbine Nature Reserve

A mere 5 minutes from Paternoster is the Cape Columbine Nature reserve home to an abundance of flora and fauna as well as the last manned lighthouse in South Africa which was built on Castle Rock in 1936.

Cape Columbine lies on a peninsular and covers 263 hectares of gorgeous wild, rocky coastline.

Part of the Foodie Route
Where:  Paternoster, R399
Contact: +27 22 752 2323 | [email protected] | www.paternoster.info

West Coast Way Is South Africa’s Road Trip With The Most Twists

Explore the Cape West Coast by planning a self-drive trip or book a guided tour for a nature and adventure-filled Cape West Coast holiday.

Find a 101+ things to see and do on the West Coast Way: Enjoy wine, craft beer, olives and Rooibos tea tastings, Weskus cuisine and braaivleis (barbecue), swing into Citrusdal with a zipline, go Cederberg bouldering, jump into natural (warm) pools, step onto cruises of lagoons and rivers, trek through nature reserves and a National Park, hop onto game drives, try the skill of archery and angling, get your adrenaline pumping with sand-boarding and quad-biking, go horse riding, learn about the San culture and Riel-dancing, do kite- and windsurfing, chill in your flip flops and do surfing, book a kayaking trip, go beach hopping, learn about bees, whales and listen to our birds in a twitcher’s paradise – all in South Africa’s wildflower reserve. For more information on the West Coast’s top places to go, road tripping, hikes, tours and trails, explore westcoastway.co.za or call West Coast Way on 0861 321 777.  Follow us on @WestCoastWaySA on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Take the road less travelled in the West Coast Way

For more information on West Coast Way Routes and the list of 101+ Things To See And Do in the Cape West Coast, visit our eventspage. Choose to go on a self-guided adventure drive by following the routes, or book an air-conditioned trip to top West Coast attractions in South Africa.