The next time you’re heading to the West Coast, why not try a new route?

West Coast Way has just launched two new tourism routes, the West Coast Way Scenic Route and the West Coast Berg Route. They added these to their existing portfolio, which includes their Foodie and Culture Routes. Each of these circular routes meanders through different towns and attractions towards the West Coast in the Western Cape of South Africa. The new routes will take you to roads definitely less travelled, through towns and settlements and exciting new destinations hidden between the Cederberg Mountains and the grassland further inland, all the way to the coast.

In celebration of these new routes TravelGround was invited on a wonderful day-trip with a group of journalists, accompanied by James Vos, the Shadow Minister of Tourism in the Western Cape, who officially opened the routes. The day started with coffee in Blouberg before we headed off to experience and explore a new way to see the West Coast.

James Vos explained that creating new tourism routes is a new way of marketing tourism destinations: “Tourism is not about the end destination. That’s why these routes are so important ─ following these routes becomes the destination.”

Visitors to each of the four circular routes get to stop and sample some of the gourmet foods, wine and some of the interesting towns and locations that mostly gets overlooked when travelling between Cape Town and Namibia along the N7.

Our first stop on the Scenic Route was at the tiny settlement of Koringberg, formerly a railway camp en route to Namibia, that has since become a haven for city dwellers looking for some peace and quiet in the countryside. The little village boasts a rich history dating back to the 1700’s and nowadays it is home to a number of interesting residents.

Martha van Wyk, the local postmaster and representative of Koringberg’s tourism for the Swartberg Municipality bureau, shared some of the area’s history with the group. The settlement was bought by the Dutch Reformed Church and branched off from Moorreesburg in 1923, and subsequently divided into erven. Back in the day these were sold at only R2 apiece!

The group was treated to some delicious fresh bread, homemade butter and baked goods at Desert Rose, a little oasis seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The shop is filled to the brim with beautiful memorabilia, delicious treats and leather goods produced in the area. You can even stock up on flour from the Moorreesburg Mill.

At Koringberg we hopped into the bus and headed to Piekenierskloof Mountain Lodge, a beautiful establishment high up in the Cederberg Mountains. The area is known for beautiful summer days and snow-capped mountain views during winter.

The Berg Route was officially opened here, after which we were treated to some of the best local delicacies from various parts of the Foodie Route, from “bokkoms” to sweet potato and rooibos-infused “koeksisters”. Each region and speciality dish was explained by Gavin Hofmeester from West Coast Way.

Soon it was time to head to our next stop: Darling.

And is there a better way to end your day than with an ice cold beer at Darling Brew? We were taken on a tour of the state of the art facility that is the brewery today. Kevin and Philippa Wood were visiting South Africa in 2007 when they met Andre Cilliers at the Sneeuberg Brewery in Nieu Bethesda, which sparked their love affair with home-brewed beer. A few years later, in 2010, they started brewing their first “slow beer”. The brand new tasting room in Darling opened in 2015. It is a beautiful venue where you can enjoy a delicious meal, taste all of their beer, tour the facility, and learn more about the brewing process.

Today Darling Brew is one of the best known craft beer brands in South Africa, selling to various traders and sponsoring events around the country. They have a wide variety of brews, ranging from lager and ale to a number of seasonal brews.

We also enjoyed tasting some local wines with Charles Withington from the Darling Wine Shop which complemented the cheese and smoked delicacies provided by Gil Ferreira from Flying Pig Charcuterie. Delicious eats and drinks aside, Simply Bee also treated us to some of their wonderful natural beeswax products.

Tired, but thoroughly impressed with everything the two new routes have to offer, we bid our fellow journo’s farewell, each with a new tale to tell about the West Coast.

Why not make your own memories on your very own West Coast adventure? Take the West Coast Way Scenic Route, which starts in Malmesbury and follows the road to the Riebeek Valley, past Hopefield and Koringberg, then on to Moorreesburg, Yzerfontein and ends in Darling.

Or you could start your route in Velddrif and take the West Coast Way Berg Route. This option follows the road to Laaiplek, Port Owen, Dwarskersbos, and on to the Rocherpan Nature Reserve, Elands Bay, Aurora, Redelinghuys and Verlorenvlei. From here you head to Piekenierskloof Mountain Resort and Citrusdal, Eendekuil, Porterville, Piketberg, Wittewater and Goedverwacht

Carmen Lerm, the founder of West Coast Way, explains that these two new routes will divert traffic from the N7 to the towns to the interior, connecting it to the coast and thus creating a sightseeing corridor.

West Coast Way hopes that the unique collection of themed routes will pave the way for the roads less travelled and showcase new experiences. These self-drive routes offer the perfect destination whether your focus is seeing the sights, taking scenic photographs, learning about the history or culture of the area, tasting some of the food and wine along the way or going on a new adventure.

• For more information on West Coast Way visit www.westcoastway.co.za or connect with West Coast Way on Facebook and Twitter at @WestCoastWaySA.