Langebaan

Langebaan is about two hours up the West Coast from Cape Town, and it is the base people are most often surprised by. The lagoon looks nothing like the Atlantic: shallow, clear, turquoise, and calm on days when the peninsula is unworkable.

The lagoon

It is a genuinely unusual body of water: a long, shallow, protected lagoon backing onto the West Coast National Park, with white sand on both sides and Kraalbaai and its beaches across the water.

Because it is shallow and sheltered, it stays workable in conditions that would move a charter in Cape Town. It is also warmer than the Atlantic side, which matters if anyone intends to swim.

Beyond the breakwater the character changes completely into open West Coast water. Between June and November the migration brings humpbacks and dolphins through.

What it suits

Small groups. The boat here is El Barco, a 6.5 m RIB taking seven, so a Langebaan charter is a private day rather than an event. She is also available for self-drive hire on the lagoon if you hold a skipper's licence and the experience to match; see rentals.

The evening light is the strongest argument for the drive. It comes off the sand and the shallow water rather than off a mountain, and it is a completely different end to the day to the Table Bay version.

The wind

Langebaan is famous among kitesurfers, and that reputation is earned. The wind here is strong and reliable, which is excellent if you have a kite and a complication if you have a booking.

The same afternoon breeze that makes this a world-class kite spot makes some afternoons wrong for a cruise. We watch the forecast and call it 48 hours ahead. Mornings are generally calmer.

Getting here

Roughly 120 km, about two hours, straight up the R27. This is a day trip you plan rather than a detour you take, which is worth knowing before you book an evening on the water at the end of it.

Meet at the marina at Club Mykonos. Parking is at the resort. Fifteen minutes ahead of departure is plenty.