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Claire recently enjoyed a wonderful stay at The White House in Yzerfontein with her family.
What a fabulous stay we had at The White House in Yzerfontein! This picture-perfect, all white beach house is literally right on the beach and you can almost feel yourself relaxing as you step inside and get your first glimpse of the spectacular views.
We arrived on a gorgeous sunny afternoon in late spring to be greeted by a beautiful blue green sea. This must be one of the loveliest times of year to visit as the west coast wild flowers were still in full bloom, growing in masses along the sides of the road and all over the sand dunes along the beachfront. A very noisy bunch of bright yellow weaver birds were darting to and fro, collecting grasses and building their impressive nests in a tree in the neighbouring garden.
The house manager Charmaine was there to meet us and give us a quick run through of the property, which has everything you could possibly need for a luxurious and relaxing beach break. We were even treated to a perfectly chilled bottle of Groote Post sparkling wine waiting for us on arrival.
With white wooden floors throughout and mostly white furnishings, the feel is perfectly beachy. The open-plan living areas on the ground floor boast comfortable white wicker armchairs, cosy window seats, a large dining room table with bench seating and an extremely spacious and well-equipped kitchen – all opening out through stack-back doors onto the deck with its views onto the dunes and beach beyond. Downstairs, the lower level has a bedroom and bathroom and another versatile living space that can either be used as a living area, or an additional sleeping area (there is a also a Morso fireplace to keep things cosy if you’re visiting in winter). This floors opens onto the pretty shelled ‘garden’ complete with outdoor seating, hammock and private outdoor shower. Protected by the Fynbos covered dunes this is the ideal space for soaking up the sun – and your own wooden boardwalk leads directly onto the beach.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is really the main attraction and it has been carefully laid out to highlight the simply stunning views. Did I mention the views?
Positioned in front of stack back doors which lead onto the balcony is the king size bed, beautifully made up in white linen with accents of misty grey and cool blue. Lying in bed you gaze across the tops of the dune in front of the house and onto the crashing ocean. The free standing oval bath tub, and on the other end of the room a comfy armchair, are also both perfectly positioned in front of wide opening windows – so whether you are reading, snoozing or relaxing in the bath you feel surrounded by the sea . I must admit – the views were a major distraction from my book! As much as I wanted to get lost in my novel – the lure of the ocean kept drawing me back.
Once we’d settled in, we headed straight out onto the beach for the first of many beach walks. The sea was wild that first afternoon – not ideal for swimming (we were advised that the better swimming option was at the main Yzerfontein beach, about 10 minutes away), but perfect for walking. We picked up all sorts of treasures as we walked along and allowed ourselves to unwind from the busy school term which was now behind us. Sandy feet and windswept hair are what holidays are made of!
Back the house, we settled down on the deck with a glass of chilled wine to enjoy the sunset, reluctantly heading indoors as it grew cooler. We enjoyed our dinner by candlelight and watched the beam of the lighthouse from Dassen Island keep its steady rhythm.
It’s such a treat falling asleep with the steady crash of the waves just outside ... and in the morning I simply couldn’t wait to whip open the curtains and throw open the windows to allow the sea air in. We spent t a lazy morning snuggled up with our girls, all enjoying our tea in bed and just watching the ocean turn brighter shades of blue as the sun rose higher.
A perfectly slow first-day-of-holiday followed. Having not visited Yzerfontein before, we meandered into town to get our bearings, to take a look at the main beach and to pop into the Spar for some freshly baked bread and some ice-lolly’s. The White House is in Pearl Bay, which is on the more newly developed side of Yzerfontein. Just 5 minutes away is the Spar and a couple of other shops, and another 5 minutes brings you to the main Yzerfontein beach in the more established part of town. There are a few coffee shops and small restaurants to choose from, and the usual holiday town ‘phenomenon’ of newly renovated seaside mansions rubbing shoulders with modest 1970’s style holiday homes. Slightly further afield you can visit the West Coast National Park and some of the wine estates in Darling and surrounds. But, we were here simply to unwind and headed back to The White House to do just that for the rest of the day.
On the way home we spotted a couple of ‘wild’ ostrich along the beachfront. We had been told to keep a look out for them – if not, I don’t think we would have believed our eyes!
A couple of days simply were not enough, we could easily have stayed for so much longer, but we left The White House feeling completely relaxed and rejuvenated. This really is the perfect spot to escape to, and it’s only an hour or so from Cape Town. The home is so well equipped that you immediately feel at home (coffee machine, loads of crockery, dishwasher, laundry facilities etc) and it strikes a great balance between luxury and easy-living.
It’s worth noting, that the White House has lots of stairs and balconies – so it wouldn’t be advisable for toddlers, or anyone who couldn’t manage stairs. The property is connected to Wi-Fi, but there is no TV.
