West Coast Fossil Park
One of the world's richest fossil sites, on an old phosphate mine — guided tours take you into the dig itself.
Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays)
Tours hourly from 10:00
R45, Langebaanweg — a short drive from Langebaan
About this
Five million years ago this was a riverbank where sabre-toothed cats, short-necked giraffes and bear-like carnivores came to drink. Phosphate mining uncovered the bones, and the site is now one of the richest fossil deposits anywhere in the world. The guided tour walks you through the museum and out to the excavation, where the bones are still lying where they fell. Tours run hourly from 10:00 — six a day midweek, four at weekends. There are also walking and mountain-bike trails through the surrounding veld at R40 for adults, and a museum-only ticket if you'd rather go at your own pace.
Times shift with the seasons and the wind. Always double-check directly before heading out, and know your own limits — especially in open water.