Whether named for its old straw-built fishermen’s cottages or the ostriches that have long roamed its shrubby vegetation, the coastal village of Struisbaai in the Western Cape is no relic from the past.
In fact, it’s one of the world’s foremost kite boarding Meccas, visited by extreme water sports lovers who get their kicks riding the surf that washes against its 14km long white beach.
Struisbaai, part of the beautiful Overberg region, lies about 220km from Cape Town. It’s holiday heaven for anyone who enjoys unspoilt beaches and white-tipped azure waves, hence its long-standing popularity among holiday home buyers from all over South Africa and the world.
Rich cultural history and glorious natural setting aside, this pretty coastal village has become a firm favourite among kite surfers, whose numbers worldwide are growing rapidly as the sport gains popularity – in fact it’s widely regarded as the world’s fastest growing water sport.
With its idyllic blending of wind and surf power, the ocean at Struisbaai calls out to kite boarders to test their skills alongside the longest uninterrupted white beach in the Southern hemisphere. And they answer the call, plunging into the waves just for fun or to try and break the speed record currently held by French kite surfer Alex Caizergues (50.57 knots).
If kite boarding’s not your thing, however, there are many other ways to enjoy the area’s magnificent coast:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Angling
- Snorkelling and
- Cruise charters for pleasure or fishing
Though kite surfing appears to be a new arrival in the world of extreme sports, it’s actually been around since the 13th Century, when the Chinese first cottoned on to it as a means of transportation.
Throughout the ages, people played around with ways of using kites to harness wind power but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that kite surfing caught on as an authentic sport. From the east coast of the United States where it originated in modern form, it has spread all over the world leaving no good wave unsurfed.
Realty 1 International Property Group Struisbaai
Tel: (028) 435 6181
Email: admin@realty1agulhas.com
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