Paternoster used to be a sleepy fishing village consisting of basic whitewashed shacks and a one-star hotel without a sea view. The place had that typical West Coast character. Now all has changed, Paternoster was 'discovered' and a development boom saw hundreds of new, not-so-basic whitewashed cottages being built by the rich folk from town. Expect to see lot's of expensive cars and 'wannabee' bikers with Harleys in front of any of the new upmarket restaurants (which take bookings by the way). There is off course the usual 'zen' type artists setting up shop and every second house is for rent or for sale. There are too many B&B's and guest houses to name. Luckily the next door Cape Columbine Nature Reserve's Tietiesbaai Campsite has retained its relaxed West Coast atmosphere and is still one of the best camping spots on the West Coast. In the main street you will be offered crayfish for sale and every afternoon depending on the sea the fisherman will come and offer their fresh catch of the day for sale. If you are lucky you can buy a fresh Cape Salmon from the fishing boats on the beach. Paternoster offers great sea kayaking and snorkel diving. You can rent sea kayaks at The Beach Camp inside the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. Paternoster remains a great place to visit and now with all the white washed cottages and the crystal blue calm see it has a very distinct Greek Islands feeling - or does the Greek Islands have a West Coast feeling.

From Cape Town take the R27 towards Vredenburg. From Vredenburg follow the R45 to Parternoster. Paternoster is about 150km from Cape town and it will take you approximately 2 hours to get there.

Paternoster is a place you can visit all year round. The rainy season is in Winter (May - September). The closest airport is in Cape Town, which is 1.5 hours away. Car rental services are available at the airport.

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