Paternoster is one of the oldest fishing villages on the West Coast of South Africa. It is located 15 km north-west of Vredenburg and 145 km north of Cape Town, at Cape Columbine between Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay.
The town covers an area of 194.8 hectare and has approximately 1883 inhabitants.
The origin of the name remains unknown. Many people believe that the name, which means ‘Our Father’ in Latin, refers to prayers said by Catholic Portuguese seamen when they became shipwrecked.
It appears as St. Martins Paternoster on an old map of Pieter Mortier so the name may be derived from Paternoster Row in the City of London which is adjacent to St. Martins Court. Other people believe it refers to the beads that the Khoi tribe wore that were called Paternosters.
The area has an array of interesting sea life and wildlife to observe. Activities include whale, dolphin, seal and penguin watching as well as bird watching with over 225 bird species in the area.
Sporting activities range from kayaking, kitesurfing, snorkelling, scuba diving, kite flying, hiking, and for the brave – swimming in the cold West Coast water!
During spring the area is transformed into a floral paradise, with wild flowers growing everywhere forming the South-Western fringe of the famous flower carpets of Namaqualand.
Visitors can pay a visit to the Cape Columbine nature reserve. The reserve covers an area of 263 hectare along the rocky stretch of coastline. The bay, which is part of the reserve, has many picnic spots and braai facilities.
Cape Columbine light house is the last manually controlled lighthouse in South Africa. The lighthouse was built in 1936 on Castle Rock. The light cast a beam which is visible from about 50 km and is usually the first South African lighthouse seen by ships coming from Europe.
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