Children’s welfare
West Coast Kids
A West Coast children’s charity running programmes for young people in and around Paternoster. Full description to follow.
westcoastkidscharity.orgWest Coast · South Africa
Paternoster
the coastal village La Baleine calls home
The village
One of the oldest fishing villages on this coast
Paternoster has been worked from the water for centuries, and it still is. Boats go out before light and come back through the morning; the whitewashed cottages along the shore were built for that life, not for the view they happen to have.
The name is said to come from the prayers of shipwrecked Portuguese sailors. What has grown up since is a village of about two thousand people, a working harbour, a handful of restaurants that have made the West Coast worth the drive, a small theatre, and a coastline that changes character with every season.
La Baleine is in the heart of it. The same streets, the same architecture, the same weather. La Baleine is not separate from Paternoster. It is part of the village, and the village is part of the stay.
The coastline
Granite, kelp and open Atlantic
The shore here is granite boulders and white sand, with the cold Benguela current running past it. Southern right whales return to the bay between August and November, close enough to watch from the rocks. Dolphins pass through most of the year, and the seal and penguin colonies sit a short paddle up the coast.
Inland, the veld turns after the winter rains and the wildflower season carpets the West Coast National Park through August and September. Cape Columbine and its lighthouse are a few minutes south.
Dining & activities
Step outside
Paternoster, on your doorstep
Step outside La Baleine and Paternoster is yours to explore. The beach and waterfront are moments away, along with restaurants and the rhythms of village life.
Ride horses along the shoreline, explore the coast by beach buggy, go birding, or discover the stories and history of one of the West Coast’s most distinctive fishing villages.
Waterfront · Beach · Restaurants · Horse riding · Beach buggy · Birding · Coastal walks
Everything there is to doThe people
A working village, not a resort
Paternoster is more than a beautiful backdrop — it’s a living, working village, shaped by the people who call it home. La Baleine has long been part of that community, and we love sharing it with our guests. The best moments often happen beyond our doors: a conversation with a local, a favourite table discovered, a story shared, or simply being welcomed into the rhythm of village life.
Social responsibility
The projects we support
Two causes close to the house. Guests who would like to know more, visit, or get involved are always welcome to ask — we are glad to make the introduction.
Animal welfare
Lexi Gives Back
An animal-welfare project named for a dog, working with the animals of the West Coast. Full description to follow.
lexigivesback.org
Stay
Your place in the village
Beach houses, suites and studios in the heart of Paternoster, a short walk from the water. Each one is named, and each one is its own house rather than a room in a hotel.
Some guests are out of the door before breakfast is cleared. Others make it as far as the deck and stay there. Neither is doing it wrong.