About Paternoster

The Secrets of the West Coast

South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the World. That is no secret. Yet few people have discovered the beautiful sandy beaches and villages on South Africa's West Coast. If you've been driving around the West Coast, stopped and even walked around a bit, slept one night somewhere and ate fresh fish at one of the many restaurants don’t think you know the West Coast.

Oh no, the secrets of the West Coast are not so obvious!

To unlock the mysteries of the villages and beaches on the western coast of South Africa, you have to talk to the local people, listen to their stories and enjoy the special way in which they express themselves.
In order to truly experience the West Coast, you have to embrace the ambiance of this special area and sense it in your body and limbs. Feel how the wind blows away all negative thoughts and fears from your mind when the wind lifts your feet and lets you dance half a meter above the ground.
Walk barefoot on the white sand and feel the cold sand between your toes. Drink in the silence that is now and then disturbed by the sound of seagulls. Become one with the sea breeze wrapping around your body and nesting in your nose and ears. Sit for hours on the majestic rocks and just “be”.
Only then will you know that you really tasted a piece of this world.
Paternoster is such a West Coast village - full of mysteries waiting to be discovered or rediscovered by you.

Quiet - it's a secret!

Where in the world is Paternoster?

Paternoster (15 km northwest of Vredenburg on the West Coast of South Africa and a mere 150 km from Cape Town) was once a typical fishing village with beautiful, whitewashed homes, a wide expanse of sandy beach and rows of photogenic brightly coloured fishing boats. Today the village has mushroomed with holiday homes that stretch along the sandy beach, but due to strict development regulations the style of architecture and the character has been retained.
The community has always been dependent upon the ocean for sustenance and sustainability. This has changed over time as the village and the community has grown and the traditions of fishing have been curtailed. Today, Paternoster is a prime tourist destination, with its unique, white-washed fishermen’s cottages, bordering expansive white beaches, all wrapped up with the Atlantic Ocean and Sandveld.
Historically the centre of the Lobster industry, generations of families have followed the sea, however, today the community have learnt new skills in servicing the tourist industry and associated industries.
Paternoster Fishery is the last remaining commercial Lobster fishing enterprise with three working boats, which continues the tradition of supplying the Cape West Coast Rock Lobster to local and international markets (according to the quota system of limited supply governed by stringent legislation).
Engrained in the community and responsible for the livelihood of its workers (whom all have decades of service), Paternoster Fishery (Paternoster Vissery), is unique in its social investment into the community.
Paternoster is a very popular weekend getaway for people from Cape Town and surrounding areas as well as people from all over South Africa and the world. It is quiet out of season, but on weekends (even in winter) it gets quite busy.

The origin of the name Paternoster - a mystery

The origin of the name Paternoster remains unknown. Here are some of the interesting explanations:

Paternoster appears as St. Martins Paternoster on an old map of Pieter Mortier. Pieter Mortier (1661–1711) was an 18th-century mapmaker and engraver from the Northern Netherlands.
Many people believe that the name, which means ‘Our Father’ in Latin, refers to prayers said by Catholic Portuguese seamen when they became shipwrecked.
The surname Paternoster was a metonymic occupational name for a maker of rosaries, often a shortened form of the Middle English, Middle High German occupational term paternosterer. It may also have been originally a nickname for an excessively pious individual or for someone who was under a feudal obligation to say paternosters for his master as part of the service by which he held land.
Maybe the name Paternoster came from the name of a house in Delft, ‘Int paternoster’, built in 1600. In this case the derivation is from the word as a term for manacles which hold the hands together so that it appears that the restrained person is praying.
Other people believe it refers to the beads that the Khoi tribe wore that were called Paternosters. Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
Some people believe Paternoster refers to prayers said by Catholic Portuguese seamen when they became shipwrecked.

Paternoster has been the scene of a number of shipwrecks over the years.

In 1876 the iron steam troopship SS Saint Lawrence was wrecked on Great Paternoster Point. She was bound for Cape Town and was carrying the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Buffs. Luckily no lives were lost when she ran aground.
In 1899 the SS Ismore, a British troopship, went ashore near Kraletjies Bay. Glass beads still wash up on the shore! The SS Haddon Hall (1913), and the SS Haleric sank off Cape St Martin (1932).
The Lisboa ran aground on Soldiers Reef near Paternoster on 23 October 1910, while en route from Lobito, in Angola, to Cape Town and Maputo (Lourenço Marques), with 250 passengers and 50 crew members aboard, carrying a cargo which included bulls, olive oil and wine. The Lisboa was a Portuguese twin screw steel steamship, built in 1910 in Glasgow and displacing 7459 tons. She was owned and operated by the Portuguese Empreza Nacional de Navegacao as one of their mail ships and commanded by Captain Menezes. At the time of her loss she was the largest vessel in the Portuguese merchant fleet. It was the first occasion (on the South African coast) in which radio telegraphy was used to summon help by a ship in distress. The wireless operator on board distinguished himself by remaining at his post to get the message through, even though the ship was sinking fast. All the boats had got clear and the vessel was going down quickly before he leapt overboard and swam to the shore.
In 1930 SS Malmesbury was wrecked on the nearby Jacobs reef while on her maiden voyage. Although general panic was averted when she first grounded, one of the lifeboats was launched so hastily that one of the davits broke, depositing 9 passengers in the water – seven of whom drowned. The remainder of the passengers and crew were evacuated from the ship safely.

Paternoster – love me or leave me

There is nothing neutral about Paternoster. You either love it or you hate it! Paternoster has the ability to take you into its beautiful sandy heart and keep you there forever. When I first set foot in Paternoster – many moons ago - my heart was stolen immediately and it felt like coming home. It felt as if this is the place I was meant to be all my life. It is my happy place where I can just ‘be’.

But sometimes people live in Paternoster for a while and then discover that it is not for them. Paternoster is a quiet village (sometimes not so quiet with bakkies going out to sea, dogs barking, people partying) with not very much to do other than enjoying the spectacular views of the coast and walking the sandy beaches. People miss the bright lights of the city and all the entertainment it offers. To live blissfully in Paternoster you have to learn to entertain yourself. You can be alone but there’s no need to be lonely.

People living happily in Paternoster:

Walk on the beach and enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean with the exceptional rocks and spectacular rising of the sun and sunsets. They take photo’s that stuns viewers!
Ride with Wow E-bikes through the village and on the beach and enjoy the views of authentic West Coast living.
Entertain with authentic West Coast food.
Braai at Tietiesbaai and watch the sun set over the ocean.
Run businesses in the hospitality industry. Paternoster is one of South Africa’s most visited destinations for local and overseas travellers. Accommodation caters for the needs of everyone. The available accommodation varies from Self Catering, Bed & Breakfast and Guest House establishments to five star Boutique Hotels.
Run businesses e.g. shops with handmade souvenirs, art and local produce. A Local beer is produced in Paternoster (Paternoster Breweries).

Exhibit art at The Paternoster Waterfront’ Artshed.

Stay in Paternoster but work in Vredenburg, Saldanha or Langebaan in all kinds of establishments.
Enjoy what Paternoster offers in the form of entertainment. Paternoster has some of the finest restaurants in South Africa. They come highly recommended and many excellent right ups have appeared in magazines locally and overseas.
Enjoy the variety of shows at Die Koelkamers theater.
Is creative and paint, design and make jewellery, knit, crochet, create pottery, fabric and glass items
Do Yoga or Pilates to stay fit and healthy
Join clubs and broaden the mind on interesting topics
Assist the Paternoster People Partnership and Hoopsig (Hope View) initiatives in the upliftment of our community’s children.
Kayak and see dolphins playing.
Visit surrounding areas e.g. St Helena Bay, Velddrift and Laaiplek, Jacobsbaai, Darling, Hopefield, Yzerfontein, Riebeeck Kasteel. Drive to Lambertsbay and enjoy the exceptional seafood and other cuisine of the Muisbosskerm open air Restaurant right on the beach.
Drive around the area during flowering season to enjoy the beautiful West Coast wildflowers. Paternoster is known for exceptional wild flowers in the village as well as in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve and Tietiesbaai area. Visit Postberg in the West Coast National Park in Langebaan for spectacular wildflower and ocean views
Visit the beautiful Cape Town that is only 150 km away. See shows, do shopping, drink the finest wine and enjoy the fast living for a day or two. Just to return to the peace and quiet of our beautiful village

Paternoster –the sought after holiday destination

Why is Paternoster such a sought-after holiday destination?

Paternoster is a picturesque fishing village famous for its spectacular scenery. Visitors may stroll, hike or ride a bicycle along the long stretches of white sandy beaches. There are often whales and dolphins to watch and birding is excellent. There are over 200 bird species. Watch out for the endangered black oystercatchers!
The remarkable coastline of jagged cliffs and white boulders makes this one of the most beautiful beaches on the West Coast of South Africa. The beautiful sun rises and sunsets are a photographer’s dream. Be sure to visit Tietiesbaai Nature Reserve for amazing views.
The brave swim in the in the cold West Coast water!
Life here is closely connected to the sea, with fishermen heading out in colourful traditional wooden boats (bakkies) to catch snoek in winter and crayfish in summer. Visitors can buy their fish fresh off the boats as they come in to shore. Paternoster is surrounded by fynbos, wheat fields in winter and wild flowers in spring. During spring the area is transformed into a floral paradise, with wild flowers growing everywhere forming the South-Western fringe of the famous flower carpets of Namaqualand.
Paternoster is renowned for its West Coast Rock Lobster (crayfish). Crayfish is nowadays on the red list and may only be caught during the very short fishing season. The Cape Bokkoms has been well known in this region and has been a cheap and practical source of protein for centuries. The unique method of preparing and drying fish has grown with leaps and bounds, often for export, in response to the growing demand for the product from South Africa.
Paternoster is a favourite amongst snorkelers, experienced divers, kite surfers and flyers as well as kayakers.
About 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, talented local artists live and work here. Their paintings, sculptures, pottery and photography are on exhibition at various galleries and shops in the village.
Food lovers will also be spoilt at various excellent restaurants, some right on the beach.
People can pay a visit to the Cape Columbine nature reserve. The reserve covers an area of 263 hectare along the rocky stretch of coastline. The bay, which is part of the reserve, has many picnic spots and braai facilities.
Cape Columbine light house is the last manually controlled lighthouse in South Africa. The lighthouse was built in 1936 on Castle Rock. The light cast a beam which is visible from about 50 km and is usually the first South African lighthouse seen by ships coming from Europe.

The Fossil Park is a mere 25 km from Paternoster on the road to Hopefield. You can experience guided tours to the dig site display of 5 million year old fossil animals.

Summer on the West Coast

The Paternoster area receives most of its rainfall during winter and has a Mediterranean climate. The area is known for its infrequent rainfall and dry countryside. For me it is like Karoo at the seaside. When you drive from Vredenburg towards Paternoster in summer the countryside is dry with vegetation much the same as in the Karoo. And then you arrive at this beautiful place with houses in the West Coast style along the seashore.
It can be quite windy during the summer months. The wind from the south-east blows away the top layer of warm water and is replaced by an icy cold upwelling of water from the ocean floor. Although the water is quite cold many brave locals and tourists swim in the sea. Fortunately the days are very warm and without the wind blowing it will be sweltering.

Winter on the West Coast – the best kept secret!

Winter is, for a variety of reasons, a very different and interesting time to visit the West Coast.

With the first rain the surroundings are transformed from harsh, dry, colourless fields to the lovely “first” green. For me this crisp green is very special because it portrays the beginning of the lovely winter season and the beautiful flowers season yet to come. This season is like spring in places with summer rainfall. The farmers begin to sow their crops in May and the corn fields and Canola transform the fields into masses of green. When the Canola flowers the fields are showing off miles of sunny yellow.
The sea temperature is actually warmer because of the change in wind direction, which shifts from the south-east to a northwesterly direction. Not that I am interested in dipping more than my toes! But the surfers do enjoy the surf. The winter swell makes for amazing waves and especially Mosselbank beach is a surfer paradise!
The climate supports the growth of the famous wildflowers that the West Coast is renowned for. As far as the eye can see beautiful wildflowers grow.
I love this time of year. The temperature is mild and the days calm. Now and then you will experience rain with a strong wind from the North. This is the time when you light the fire and cuddle up with a good book, hot chocolate or red wine and chocolates. It is the time for hearty meals, soup, oxtail and wonderful Malayan curries.
We have the best sunsets and sunrises of the year with pinks, peach and gold stretching across the sky.

Catch a West Coast dream!

Book your weekend getaway or holiday at Infinity Self Catering Accommodation in Paternoster and experience the mysteries of this unique romantic fishing village.