African Reservations

There is something potent about a mountain that ends in the sea. Llandudno exists in just such a place, nestled in a valley with the spectacle of the Twelve Apostles Mountain range stretching all the way to Camps Bay on one side, with Little Lions Head and the Karbonkelberg Mountain sweeping off in the other direction. Below, the might of the Atlantic Ocean crashes on the rocks and coves dotted along the coastline. (Llandudno is named after Llandudno in Wales which is named after the Welsh word for “Parish of St Tudno” – from the word “llan” meaning parish. Tudno was the first person to bring Christianity to that part of Wales so he was made a saint and had a town named after him.)

The Llandudno of today has no street lamps and no retail outlets. The beach remains unspoiled and the fynbos countryside stretches off untouched in each direction. To those living in Llandudno, it is a welcome sight to return home at the end of a day and see the twinkling lights nestled in the valley below Victoria Road, hear the sound of the ocean and the feel the mountains towering overhead. Life in Llandudno ranges from stormy winter days, taking a fresh wind-lashing of a walk to watch the power of the waves crashing on the Logies Bay rocks, to those hot, balmy summer days whiled away on the beach with friends, dogs and Frisbees. A sundowner on the beach with the sun setting over the ocean is an unforgettable experience too.