St Helena Bay · South Africa
Stays in St Helena Bay
Updated August 19, 2026
St Helena Bay sits on South Africa's West Coast, about two hours north of Cape Town along the R27, well outside any malaria zone and with no fenced game reserve for miles. Vasco da Gama anchored here in November 1497, and the monument to that landing still marks Steenberg's Cove, the original harbour. Snoek boats and crayfish crates share the quay with a scatter of guesthouses, self-catering cottages and beachfront hotels stretched between St Helena Bay proper, Britannia Bay and the whitewashed fishing village of Paternoster twenty minutes south. Travellers come for the seafood, the Southern Right whales offshore between June and November, and a slower coastline than Cape Town's.
St Helena Bay in numbers
24
stays
76€
median price per night
9.4/10
average guest rating
3 015
traveller reviews
7% cheaper than Wolseley, Western Cape
Filter by stay type
10.0Self-cateringAt3Brides Self Catering
10.0Guesthouse & B&BWeskus pêrel Guesthouse
9.8Golf resortForever Blue
9.8BeachfrontMusselcracker Beach Front Bed and Breakfast
9.8PoolDa Gama Bay Holiday Units
9.8Beachfront9 On the Beach
9.8BeachfrontVillas On The Beach
9.6BudgetWhale N Daisy
9.6Guesthouse & B&BGonana Guesthouse
9.6Pet-friendlyJaloersbaai Guest Cottage and Nes
9.6Guesthouse & B&BFarr Out Guest House
9.6Guesthouse & B&BOystercatcher Villa
9.6BeachfrontStrandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
9.6Guesthouse & B&BAbsolute Beach
9.4Pet-friendlythe beach house, britannia bay
9.4PoolTrue North West Coast
9.4Pet-friendlyThe Lazy Daisies
9.0Pet-friendlySmugglers' Cottage BnB
9.0Ocean viewAbalone Hotel & Villas - Paternoster
9.0BoutiqueLinhof Boutique Guest House
9.0Guesthouse & B&BGoblins Creek
8.6BeachfrontNieuview Cottages
8.2Pet-friendlyStay in Paternoster
7.6Ocean viewSt Helena Bay Hotel & Spa
What to expect
- Steenberg's Cove harbour, the original St Helena Bay fishing quay
- Paternoster village, twenty minutes south, whitewashed cottages and working boats
- Southern Right whales visible from the shore, June to November
- Shelley Point's 18-hole golf course on the St Helena Bay peninsula
- West Coast National Park within reach for birdlife and spring wildflowers
- No malaria risk and no fenced reserve on this stretch of coast
Local tips
- Drive the R27 rather than fly; Cape Town International sits close to two hours south and taxis run high on this route.
- Book a table at a harbour restaurant ahead in December and January, when Cape Town holidaymakers fill the West Coast.
- Pack a windbreaker even in summer; the afternoon south-easter blows hard along this open coast.
- Base yourself in Paternoster if you want walkable restaurants, or St Helena Bay proper for the working harbour and cheaper self-catering.
- Visit West Coast National Park's Postberg section in August or September for the wildflower bloom, open only that window.
- Skip the rental car's GPS shortcuts through Vredenburg after dark; stick to the R27 and the signed coastal roads.
Where to stay
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