Britannia Bay, Cape West Coast

Britannia Bay is 160 km from Cape Town, an easy 90 minute drive up the Cape West Coast.

Britannia Bay is located 35 km from Vredenburg (the main commercial centre of the region) and 45 km from Saldanha Bay. Britannia Bay offers acres of unspoilt, safe beaches. The bay is very protected and the water is slightly warmer than most places on the West Coast, due to the Benguela current not entering the bay. The bay teems with Southern Right and Humpback whales for up to ten months of the year which are always a delight to watch as are the scores of resident dolphin. Heaviside's (endemic to the area) and Dusky dolphins are often seen to follow the little boats used by holiday makers. The safe launching site for small craft makes Britannia Bay ideal for water sports and Seal Island is only 10 minutes away by small boat. Seal Island is perfect for fishing, diving and Cray-fishing.

Britannia Bay is home to over 200 bird species which attend to indigenous flowers at the turn of Spring. Internationally renowned among ornithologists, the nearby West Coast National Park is one of the world’s most important bird sanctuaries, providing a haven for some 256 bird species. Also of interest are the neighbouring Berg River estuary and the Rocherpan Nature Reserve are well worth a visit.

Of interest to Botanists, Britannia Bay is home to the ‘veldkool’ (Trachyandra ciliata) and ‘gousblom’ (Gazania krebsiana), two of the fine species of indigenous veld flowers that flourish here in spring.