Barely and hour’s drive from Cape Town on the rugged West Coast, in a tranquil bay embroidered with scattered rocks, is the attractive fishing village of Paternoster.

With it’s picturesque white washed houses, green-grey veld and turquoise water, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve ended up in a distant hamlet somewhere on the Mediterranean coast. Then once more, you won’t get anything more authentically South African than the native delicacy of bokkoms (salted, dried fish) – the seafood model of that different very South African deal with, biltong.

Being near Cape Town, this predominantly Afrikaans-speaking village is a well-liked weekend getaway vacation spot for affluent Capetonians who prefer the unspoilt West Coast to the tourist friendlier South Coast. In summer season the close by camping site at Tietiesbaai within the Cape Columbine nature reserve, is frequented by hardy fisherman and snorkel divers.

Though the water is generally too cold for bathing, colourful boats baking within the sun is a typical sight on the town’s unspoilt stretch of beach. On a superb day up to thirty boats could be seen across the bay – nearly all of Paternoster’s humble everlasting inhabitants are still solely at mercy of the ocean to provide them with food and a way of income.

Legend has it that the town’s name, which is Latin for “Our Father’s prayer”, was given by Portuguese seafarers who had bother in tough seas. Grateful for having safely reached shore, they vowed to build a church and christened the village Paternoster.

A visit to the Paternoster hotel will provide you with a bit of perception into the town’s colourful culture. The hotel’s notorious “panty bar” – with it’s walls and ceiling covered in girls’s underwear and soiled jokes – is where you will discover sturdy fishermen watching sport on television while consuming copious quantities of Brandy and coke. Throughout the road from the hotel’s terrace, locals sell their catch of the day – whether or not Snoek legally or Crayfish underhandedly (it is illegal to purchase or sell Crayfish or West Coast Rock Lobster with a recreational Crayfish permit).

Down the road is the Paternoster farm stall, where merchandise includes a scrumptious variety of homemade seafood pickles like mussels with coriander and chili or curried calamari. Diagonally opposite is the charming Oep ve Koep (the name directly translates from an Afrikaans expression in typical West Coast slang as “open for getting”) where typical kitschy vacationer memorabilia sit between a large collection of vintage enamelware, glass containers and classic signage.

At the beach front market indulge within the freshest fish and chips from the Seemeeu Kiosk or courageous the pungent scent and purchase a bunch of bokkoms – actually a delectable substitute for anchovy.

For the perfect ending to a typical West-Coast visit, make dinner reservations at the quaint Die Voorstrandt restaurant. Situated proper on the beach in one of the oldest buildings within the village, Die Voorstrandt offers a taste of the freshest native seafood and unsurpassed views of essentially the most beautiful West Coast sunset.

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