West coasting, SLOWLY

A road trip through the Cape's forgotten fishing villages

- text WADE SEALE photographs HENRIQUE WILDING

Think of the Spanish Costa de Sol, but with a longer coastline, more villages and the constant sense that you've discovered something entirely new every time you arrive somewhere. In the villages that punctuate this ode to creation, fishermen spend their days in the sun, mending their nets by hand. This is the stretch north of Cape Town towards Lambert's Bay: the West Coast.

There are more than a few spots where you can go to make decisions slowly. Start in Yzerfontein, the coastal village about 90 minutes from Cape Town, with the seabird sanctuary Dassen Island just offshore. Here, the West Coast's laid-back feel is on full display – surfers riding the swells, lime kilns from the 1930s dotting the roadside. The town's motto, 'The sea nourishes, the flowers adorn,' comes to life from August to October when the fynbos bloom vibrantly. It's also the spot of choice for southern right whales to calve in season: June to November.

Not Forgotten is a classic white wooden beach house perched on the sand with uninterrupted ocean views and Table Mountain's iconic silhouette in the distance. This retreat is set in coastal wilderness – quiet beaches with few souls in sight. Wander the Schaapeiland Hiking Trail, a two-kilometre path skirting the fishing coves Blaasgat and Spuitgat, or charter a boat to Dassen Island for penguin spotting.