Darling, West Coast

The warm, welcoming and friendly Tourism Folk from Darling, believe that peace and quiet is foremost. A calm and peaceful Retreat from the stresses and strains of the hectic City life. A chance to escape the daily grind and re-energize the Soul. Darling offers that and is easily accessible from either the N7 or the R27 and is only an Hour’s drive from Cape Town. 

Darling has a variety of Tourism offerings that will appeal to all members of the Family. There’s Craft Beer and a Taproom at Darling Brew, Olives and Olive Products to be tasted at Darling Olives and Het Bos, (by appointment). The Top End of the Main Road boasts an Artisanal Cheese & Deli, plus The Darling Wine Shop. Wine tasting at Ormonde, Kloof- Darling Cellars and Groote Post along with its long established, family friendly Hilda’s Kitchen. A San Centre is near by and the Beach at Yzerfontein, is just a short drive away.

Back in Darling itself are the old favourites like Evita se Perron and the Darling Museum plus a number of Restaurants and Coffee Shops like: 'Bistro Seven, Marmalade Cat, Café Mosaic, Chicory Cheese Café, Brig’s Barn and The Flying Pig'. There’s lots of Accommodation to suit all Tastes and Budgets and, best of all, even a toffee and caramel tasting at 'Darling Sweet'.

The Museum is such a fascinating insight into the Area, and a great way to see the progression that has been made over the years. There’s something so interesting about having a piece of History displayed in front of you. I love the little town of Darling, and a trip is not complete, without a visit to their Museum.

The Darling Museum was founded by a group of Local Farmers’ Wives in 1978, to Preserve the Butter Making History, of Darling. This section is still there, but the Place itself has since grown exponentially over time, to showcase a wider variety of Historical items. It is only R10 to Enter the Museum, which is a small price to pay for such an interesting Exhibition. You could easily spend two Hours, moseying through it while reflecting on a Time gone by. Darling was Founded in 1853 and the Museum does a good job of Illustrating the Lifestyle and Development of the Village, since then. The layout of this Museum is what makes it stand out from others! It’s easy to navigate and separated into different Rooms, showing us what Life was like back then. You’re taken on a journey through a typical Bedroom, Kitchen, Parlour & Dining Room and Garden, all the way to a General Dealers Store, a Classroom, and even a Saloon. It’s a great Place for the current Generation to see what life used to be like and how much things have changed! There’s even actual bills and invoices in some of the Areas showing how much various items used to cost. Trust me – if there is anything that will shock your kids, this will be it! The Museum is crammed full of treasures, and I’m sure if I went again I would see things I never saw the first time around! It’s open 7 days a week. I recommend the Darling Mystery Trail if you have a bit more Time. The Mystery Trail is a treasure hunt with riddles and takes about two Hours. Tickets are R30 (collect at the front desk of the Museum) and includes a treasure as well as a chance to win a prize. Bring your smartphone with GPS, QR-Code reader and navigation app, as well as a pen and paper and a sleuth-like mind. This is a great activity if you have Children with you.