Arniston

Kassiesbaai is the old part of Arniston: about forty whitewashed, thatched fishermen's cottages on the rocks above the sea, built and occupied by the same fishing families for around two hundred years and declared a national heritage site in 1986. The important thing is that people still live in them - this is a working community, not a preserved museum village, and the protection exists partly to keep developers out. The wider settlement carries two names, Arniston from the troopship wrecked here in 1815 with the loss of more than three hundred lives, and Waenhuiskrans in Afrikaans from the sea cave along the shore. The beach is white sand with turquoise water that looks tropical and is cold. A small restaurant in Kassiesbaai serves local fish, and boats still go out when weather allows.

What you actually see

• Kassiesbaai - about forty thatched cottages lived in by fishing families for two centuries.
• The heritage protection - a working village declared a national site in 1986.
• The 1815 wreck - the troopship Arniston, lost with more than three hundred aboard.
• The white beach - bright sand and cold turquoise water below the village.

When to go

September to April. A day. The sea cave at Waenhuiskrans needs low tide.

Honest expectations

Kassiesbaai is people's homes - do not photograph through windows or wander into yards. The water is cold despite how it looks. Wind on this coast is constant. Facilities are limited; Bredasdorp has the shops.

Nearby

Waenhuiskrans cave is along the shore; De Hoop reserve is north-east.