Kraalbaai, West Coast National Park

What? Beach day
Where? Kraalbaai, West Coast National Park ( 1 hr 15 from Cape Town)
When? Any day in summer. Try to avoid weekends as the beach can be very packed. We went on a Monday.
How much? R66 entrance fee for adults, R33 for kids, free with a Wild Card.

I hadn’t heard about this absolute gem until fairly recently, but once I’d seen one of my friends post a photo of it on Instagram I knew I just had to make a day trip out to Kraalbaai in the West Coast National Park.

Being about a one hour and fifteen minute drive away from Cape Town makes it easy enough to do as a day trip at the same time as giving the impression of a road trip holiday up the coast. A day trip up to Kraalbaai really is a wonderful outing for the family or as a group of friends. You’ll get to swim in the gorgeously blue lagoon, watch houseboats bob up and down in the water and feel like you’ve been transported to somewhere on the Med!

We left Cape Town fairly early on a Monday morning equipped with some groovy car tunes and all the paraphernalia one might require for a beach day. We had EVERYTHING: umbrellas, sun loungers, cooler boxes filled with food and drinks, beach bats and even inflatable ring donuts.

After an easy drive up the West Coast we reached the park where we each paid our R66 entrance fee, a small price to pay for a little taste of something so closely resembling the Greek isles. We spent the day floating on the clear water, reading in the sunshine and gazing out at the beautiful vista before us.

The incredible blue of the lagoon contrasting with the long stretches of white sand just echoed memories of my time in Greece. Ever since returning home since my travels in Europe I have been seeking fun and exciting things to do in my home town, Cape Town. I have just been absolutely baffled by how many incredible beaches, attractions and outings are right here in our back garden, just waiting to be explored. Kraalbaai was a perfect example of a breathtakingly beautiful beach that I had just never thought about visiting.

So if you’re from Cape Town and wanderlust is a-calling, why not try doing something you’ve never done before in your own city? I challenged myself these past five months with a massive Cape Town bucket list with over a hundred new things to do in Cape Town that I’ve never done before. Slowly but surely I’ve ticked most things off the list and it has meant that each day has brought a new adventure!

Over the next little while I’m going to be sharing all of these adventures with you and giving you practical tips on each activity. Stay tuned!

Loved your visit to the West Coast National Park? Did you know that the Postberg section of the park is one of the best place to view the Spring Wild Flowers in September? Read my blog post of everything you need to know to Plan A Trip To See The Wild Flowers.

If one day isn’t enough to enjoy the beauty of the Langabaan Lagoon then maybe look into booking a houseboat for the weekend? The Kraalbaai Luxury Houseboats just look absolutely idyllic! Alternatively book a stay at The Room Key’s Church Cottage in Church Haven