Dwarskersbos is a fishing village and vacation resort some 11 km north of Laaiplek in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Etymology

The name is said to be derived from the name of the plant Euclea polyandra of the genus Euclea( or kersbos) which grows abundantly in the region.

History

The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama first set foot on South African soil on 7 November 1497 near here when he explored the present St Helena Bay. The town was established on the farm “Dwarskersbos” that belonged to the Smit family in 1920. A 6m high storm surge struck Dwarskersbos on 27 August 1969.

Geography

Its beach stretches from Velddrif and Dwarskerbos almost 40 kilometres north towards Elands Bay, making it the longest uninterrupted sandy beach in South Africa.

Notable people