Fall In Love With Struisbaai / L’Agulhas

A visit to the Southern Most point of Africa, will bring you to the seaside villages of Struisbaai / L’Agulhas.

Discovering Struisbaai

For many years I never knew about the existence of the above two towns. That is until the family decided to buy their first holiday home in Struisbaai. Driving along the scenic road you reach your destination just as you would want to ask “are we there yet”, and then… what a surprise: Struisbaai / L’Agulhas.

Taking the turnoff from the N2 at Caledon you travel along the R316 to Bredasdorp and then take the R319 to Struisbaai. Moments later you are in the Overberg district which is a wonderful surprise during winter with the rich tapestry of the yellow Canola fields in full flower.

When you take the road early in the morning, you will drive into a magical sunrise along the way.

Take the time to stop. You’ll also find many cool farmstalls along the way where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and/or something to eat.

Stop at the small villages along the way, like Napier and buy some of the local delicacies. If you’re on your way to a self-catering place, it is ideal to get some fresh bread, etc. on your way.

I am not going to bore you with the historical details and logistics (that, you can google easily), but I do want to tell you about the experience.

Struisbaai has one of the most picturesque harbors in the world. Maybe one of the most photographed as well, or I might be biased, but it truly is beautiful and anyone that’s been to Struisbaai harbor will agree.

As you enter the town on you right you’ll find a coffeeshop / restaurant / playpark for the kids, where you can stop. There are quite a few great restaurants to enjoy in town as well.

Go horse riding on the beach

As you drive into Struisbaai, to your right, is a small horse riding spot. It’s not the usual fancy stables and so on. But, it’s an amazing activity to book. A gentle and easy family-horse-riding experience that takes you across the road, through a few bushes, and then you have the open beach in front of you. Glorious!

Visit Parrie and his Pals

The now very famous stingrays will greet you at the harbor. Parrie the stingray (a previous visitor from Cape Town Aquarium) and his friends, welcomes interaction with the people of Struisbaai and holiday makers. You can even try and feed him pilchards. To my knowledge he is the oldest resident stingray.

Where the two oceans meet

A stay in Struisbaai is not complete unless you traveled to the neighboring L’Agulhas. With restaurants and coffee shop and gift shops of note, you will love spending time in L’Agulhas. Undoubtedly the beautiful road leading to L’Agulhas (or Agulhas as locals refer to it), is spectacular to say the least.

Recipe from Struisbaai - How to make pickled fish

Find out more about fish and food in Struisbaai.

How much time to spend

It is a typical weekend getaway if you stay in Cape Town area, but I would recommend 3 to 4 days – especially if you’re looking for a little bit of relaxation and summer holidays on the beach.

What language do they speak in Struisbaai / Agulhas?

Mostly Afrikaans, but everyone understand and speak English as well. So you’ll have no trouble with language.

Why should you visit Struisbaai and L’Agulhas?

L’Agulhas is the place where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Remember to take a photo standing right on the spot and then you can also claim to have been on the Southernmost tip of Africa. You can visit the shipwreck and take stunning sunset photos with the wreck in frame. Go horse riding on the beach. Visit the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse Museum. Take time to have a picnic on the beach or just take a walk along the coastline. There is also a “Spookdraai” hiking trail for the adventurous.

One of the things Struisbaai has high on their “bragging-rights-list” is the longest white sandy beach, but I must say I love the more rugged rocks of the coastline towards L’Agulhas. Therefore you have the best or both worlds.

Is Struisbaai / L’Agulhas worth a visit?

With places like Hermanus and Arniston nearby it might be tempting to go explore other towns as well but give yourself time to unwind and explore all the little treasures that Struisbaai and L’Agulhas have to share. In addition, Struisbaai is famous for its yellowtail fish and you can arrange for a charter fishing trip or bring your own fishing gear and try fishing with your children from the Struisbaai harbor wall. On any day you will find families and even toddlers enjoying this activity if not enjoying the warm waters of the swimming bay at the harbor. Children can try their hand at catching puffer fish, strepies, kolsterte, tjor-tjor, or maasbankers.

December is the time when Struisbaai / L’Agulhas is bustling with holidaymakers. With everyone in good spirit and friendly, and the atmosphere is just wonderful. Especially when attending a Christmas day church service right on the beach or experiencing Christmas carolers going from home to home on Christmas eve to spread the cheer.

A visit to Struisbaai / Agulhas is something special and a place to make memories. Wonderful memories. Happy memories.

More THINGS TO DO at your favorite destination

It is nice to have your own car here, as there is no public transport. Then you are also free to explore nearby places and drive out into the countryside. Spend lazy days on the beach. Go for long walks: You can walk from Struisbaai to L’Agulhas or take a long walk along one of the Cape’s longest white sand beaches.

Where to stay - Best Accommodation options

Explore the many options available in Struisbaai or L’Agulhas (next door to Struisbaai) via:

Oceans Guest House & Luxurious Apartments

Located in Struisbaai, within 33 km of De Mond Nature Reserve and 300 m of Struisbaai Harbour, Oceans Guest House & Luxurious Apartments provides accommodation with a shared lounge and free WiFi throughout the property as well as free private parking for guests who drive.

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