March 2025

As I mentioned in our previous post, we travelled to Cape Town in March to look for a house that we could rent – among other things (read here). The day before we left Cape Town, we found the ideal house – talk about perfect timing!

Berto’s work required him to fly to Johannesburg for a week, after which we had to take the long road back to East London to pack up our house for the move back to Cape Town. With Berto in Johannesburg, I went to Langebaan to take care of a few things.

Amidst everything, I decided to take a break from the mad rush. I convinced my mum to come along and we visited a town on the West Coast that we had never been to before. Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe that there are still places we haven’t seen yet, even though we’ve lived here for quite some time.

Shelley Point:

Shelley Point is only 53km/33 miles from Langebaan (and 150km/93 miles north of Cape Town). It borders the two coastal towns of Brittania Bay and St Helena Bay. The development is relatively new and is expanding rapidly. There is a lovely golf course (Shelley Point Golf Club), but it was the sea views and long beaches that attracted us.

Beach at Shelley Point

The long white sandy beaches are only interrupted by small coastal towns, and I am sure, if you wanted to, you could walk for kilometers along this beach. However, it was a very hot day (35°C/95°F), and we only walked a short distance – and made sure to dip our feet in the icy cold Atlantic Ocean.

Beach at Shelley Point

I read that there was a lighthouse at Shelley Point, and we decided to go look for this little gem. The Stompneusbaai Lighthouse (also known as the Shelley Point Lighthouse) may not be as impressive as other lighthouses, but I thought it blended quite beautifully with the surroundings.

Stompneusbaai Lighthouse in the distance

The lighthouse was established in 1936 and is only 9m tall. This area is known for its rich marine life and despite its small size, it plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of fishing boats and larger ships navigating the waters near St. Helena Bay.

The sea was calm at the lighthouse

While my mum was collecting shells on the beach, I walked the short distance to the lighthouse. It is fenced off and I couldn’t go in, but that didn’t matter – I’m always happy to see a lighthouse up close.

The lighthouse

We could spot a few fishing boats on the horizon and although the sea was calm during our visit, I know it can also be very rough at times. That’s when this lighthouse is of great value to the fishermen.

Fishing boats on the horizon

On the way to the lighthouse, we passed a statue and went back to see if we guessed correctly whose statue it was.

Who could this be?

It was indeed the statue of Vasco da Gama, the first Portuguese explorer and navigator that established a direct sea route between Europe via the Cape to India. During his voyage, he called at St Helena Bay on 7 November 1497.

Trademark of Vasco da Gama on the pedestal of the statue

Vasco da Gama in the streets of Shelley Point

After spending most of the morning in Shelley Point, my mum and I looked for a restaurant where we could enjoy lunch – preferably with a view of the sea.

Alegria Restaurant, St Helena Bay:

With Vasco da Gama still fresh in our minds, a Portuguese restaurant sounded like the ideal place. Alegria, with its wide variety of Portuguese dishes, is located on the beach in St Helena Bay.

The Portuguese flag was the indication that we’re at the right spot

Alegria Restaurant

From the outside, where we parked, the restaurant looked quite small. But once inside, we realised just how big it was. We chose an outdoor table, but luckily still under a roof to protect us from the scorching sun.

Entrance at Alegria Restaurant

The menu is truly Portuguese

Outside seating under a roof

View from our table

There was no better choice than to order salad on this hot summer day. My mum ordered the Grilled BBQ Chicken salad, while I chose the Alegria Salad with smoked salmon, anchovies, hard-boiled egg, feta, and olives. The little salmon roses in my bowl were almost too pretty to eat!

Our salads – look at those pretty salmon roses

After we finished our meals and each had two big glasses of water and juice, we left Alegria satisfied. What a delightful experience we had here.

The view of the ocean from Alegria is spectacular

My mum and I had a very pleasant day here on the West Coast – regarding both the scenery and food. We hope you enjoyed discovering another beautiful place on the West Coast with us.

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Note: For the next 10 days, Berto and I will have limited access to the internet. We are going for a short visit to the south of Namibia where we will camp in various places in the desert. We hope to tell you all about this beautiful place once we’re back home.