Visit Langebaan

Langebaan Lagoon

Mention Langebaan to Capetonians and they smile; only 100 kilo­metres from Cape Town this hugely pop­u­lar hol­i­day town offers the ulti­mate in easy get­aways. Weekends away in Langebaan are an excel­lent oppor­tun­ity to get some time out and indulge in the hol­i­day mood without ardu­ous plan­ning or a long drive.

But it's not only con­veni­ence that this West Coast town has in its favour. The Langebaan lagoon is simply stun­ning; crys­tal clear water sur­roun­ded by snow-white beaches attracts water sports enthu­si­asts from all over South Africa. Windsurfing, kite-surfing, angling and yacht­ing are some of the favour­ite local pastimes.

The lagoon is also an amaz­ing fam­ily spot, where Moms and Dads can take time to indulge in the time-honoured tra­di­tions of sand-castle build­ing, stone-skimming and shell-collecting with their kids, mak­ing it an ideal Family-friendly hol­i­day des­tin­a­tion. The lagoon itself is pro­tec­ted from the wild­ness of the Atlantic Ocean mak­ing this a safe little haven for pad­dling and the water is also much warmer than at the ocean itself.

Club Mykonos

Langebaan sports ultra mod­ern hol­i­day accom­mod­a­tion such as the upmar­ket Club Mykonos, with a casino, as well as bed-and-breakfasts, guest houses, hol­i­day apart­ments and suites and two cara­van parks for the more outdoor-orientated. Many of the ori­ginal homes in Langebaan have been kept in their ori­ginal rus­tic state with no elec­tri­city or mains water. Declared his­toric, these houses may not be sold to out­siders and can only be passed on within the fam­ily. This sense of com­munity is part of what makes the atmo­sphere relaxed, people wander around the town in bathing cos­tumes and sarongs and bare feet are con­sidered part of the dress code, so feel free to go shop­ping and visit cafés and res­taur­ants just as you are.

The town also has a golf course, ten­nis courts, a bowl­ing green and the yacht club for those who want to enjoy a lazy sun­set and cock­tails from the deck. Retail shops sup­ply all your needs from gro­cer­ies, food, hol­i­day equip­ment and hard­ware, all in typ­ical small town ambi­ence. The town has good res­taur­ants that serve out­stand­ing sea­food and boasts all the regional dishes as well as tra­di­tional ‘boerekos’ (farmer's food) and con­tin­ental dishes.

In addi­tion to its water sports, Langebaan is also known for its land-based adven­ture activ­it­ies. Mountain bik­ing is big here and out­rides include eco-rides, fossil rides, night rides and beach rides that cater to both begin­ners and to exper­i­enced riders. The nat­ural sur­rounds are truly some­thing worth admir­ing, with World Heritage Wetlands and the West Coast National Park right on the door­step. These fra­gile eco-systems are pro­tec­ted areas and vis­it­ors are encour­aged to “Leave only foot­prints and take only memor­ies” within their bounds. You can explore by moun­tain bike or on horse­back and it is well organ­ised to give least dis­turb­ance yet max­imum enjoy­ment to vis­it­ors. Langebaan is also known as the orni­tho­lo­gical cap­ital of South Africa and has the largest recor­ded oyster shell depos­its in the world.

Whatever your needs and tastes are, whether lazy at the poolside, exhil­ar­ated on horse­back or wind­surfer or just sit­ting quietly and angling, Langebaan is a cor­nu­copia of hol­i­day pas­times. The town is vibrant, the people warm and friendly and its prox­im­ity to Cape Town make it well worth a visit.

Useful Links:
More des­tin­a­tion inform­a­tion at:
Langebaan Information
Langebaan Accommodation
Western Cape