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Darling is part of the Cape Floral Region and home to hundreds of species of flowering plants.

Approximately 15km inland from the R27 and Yzerfontein intersection, you will find the beautiful town of Darling. Darling was established in 1853 and named after the Lieutenant Governor Charles Henry Darling. The town is set in the midst of a prosperous agricultural area, also well-known for its dairy, wine estates and vineyards, craft beer and olives.

The arts are an integral part of the town which is synonymous with local satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys. Tannie Evita (Pieter-Dirk Uys) is still performing at the theatre at Evita se Perron and visitors might be lucky to catch a glimpse of the most famous white woman in South Africa!

Darling is part of the Cape Floral Region and home to hundreds of species of flowering plants endemic to the area. From the beginning of August, the countryside explodes into a kaleidoscope of colour – beautiful from a car, but best seen on foot by visiting the various nature reserves, and the West Coast National Park close by.

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I Love Darling is a media marketing and brand management company established in 2013. Our aim is to promote Darling & the West Coast as a tourism destination to support our local events and businesses.

We publish a quarterly printed magazine – I Love Yzer Darling, as well as a weekly electronic newsletter. By signing up for the newsletters you can receive up-to-date info from our local restaurants and businesses and plan your stay accordingly.

We offer a marketing & brand management service that can be tailor made according to the client’s needs. Our services include corporate identity, a marketing strategy, social media, electronic newsletters to website construction & management.

We offer a I Love Darling product range showcasing our love for Darling. The products are available from our online store or selected local retailers.

Follow our social media accounts or contact us to set up a meeting.

info@ilovedarling.co.za
Whatsapp: 084 796 6094

Tienie Versfeld Reserve

This small reserve is situated half way between Darling and Yzerfontein; it was donated to SANBI by Mr. Tienie Versfeld sometime in the 1960s, as a wonderful example of the wet veld type which houses such a diversity of plants. There is free access - visitors must remain on the existing footpaths to avoid walking on the plants. Parking is along the main road and care must be taken when crossing this road, as the traffic can be heavy during flower season.
The main flower area is to the left after entering, where the red Drosera cistiflora, the Geissorhiza radians (the famous kelkiewyn), and the very special yellow Geissorhiza darlingensis can be seen.
The area to the right is accessed via a walkway, but this can be very wet, so care must be taken.
Visitors must enjoy the large patches of Monsonia speciosa, the Ixia maculata, Pelargonium triste, and Oxalis of all colours.
This reserve is best visited the latter half of September and into October.
- Helene Preston

Contreberg Reserve

Contreberg Farm is situated on the R307 between Mamre and Darling. We pride ourselves in taking care of mother earth and protecting the soils through sustainable agricultural practices. Contreberg is home to a private nature reserve, preserving the fragile fynbos landscapes. In 2004 a highly endangered orchid was rediscovered by Dr. Anton Pauw. It is only found on Contreberg and two other lowland locations. This particular orchid is pollinated by a special renosterveld oil-collecting bee, which secretes oil instead of nectar. The Pterygodium cruciferum blooms during the 2nd week of October, and is on the red list of endangered South African plant species.
Contreberg is also a wine farm with a brand new wine tasting room where you can taste our Contreberg Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Entry is free at the marked entrance; 10 am – 4 pm on weekdays and 10 am – 3 pm on Saturdays.
- Eleanor Pretorius

Waylands Flower Reserve

The Waylands Wild Flower Reserve is a small reserve, about 80 ha, with around 300 species of flowering plants throughout the season.
Access is only during the wild flower season as the veld is used for normal farming activities during the rest of the year. Access is free; there is a road which is suitable for light motor vehicles only, definitely not for heavy vehicles such as busses. Normal access times are from sunrise until sunset. Visitors are welcome to access the reserve in their cars, but are also encouraged to walk around.
Normal rules for flower reserves apply – definitely no picking of the flowers, no fires and keep to the road in your car; going off-road will require recovery of your stuck vehicle.
Waylands is well known for its variety, but more specifically for the Geissorhiza radians (kelkiewyn/ wine cup) as well as the vast field of Arum lilies (varkblomme - NOT varkoorblomme); they are named varkblomme because their rhizomes (roots) are the favourite food of porcupines (ystervark).
Wild flower viewers are warned that most of the flowers close at night, and whenever it becomes cool. The best time to view any wild flowers is therefore from about 10 am (or when it gets warm) until about 3 pm (when it starts cooling down). If you want to see flowers, only those that never close such as the Arum lilies, will be viewable on cold or rainy days! It is always best to start your flower tour at its northernmost extremity as the flowers always turn toward the sun, allowing you to see them clearly as you drive southwards towards Cape Town.
- John Duckitt