Dwarskersbos
Beach house in Dwarskersbos
Dwarskersbos Show map of Western Cape Dwarskersbos Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 32°42′S 18°14′E / 32.700°S 18.233°E / -32.700; 18.233
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	West Coast
Municipality	Bergrivier
Area [1]
• Total	1.53 km2 (0.59 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	670
• Density	440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	29.9%
• Coloured	9.7%
• Indian/Asian	2.7%
• White	57.5%
• Other	0.1%
First languages (2011) [1]
• Afrikaans	94.5%
• English	4.5%
• Other	1.0%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Area code	022
Website	www.dwarskersbos.com

Dwarskersbos is a fishing village and vacation resort some 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of Laaiplek in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Etymology[edit]

The name is said to be derived from the name of the plant Euclea polyandra [af] of the genus Euclea(Afrikaans: dwarskers or kersbos) which grows abundantly in the region.

History[edit]

The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama first set foot on South African soil on 7 November 1497 near here when he explored the present St Helena Bay.

The town was established on the farm “Dwarskersbos” that belonged to the Smit family^[2] in 1920.

A 6m high storm surge struck Dwarskersbos on 27 August 1969.

Geography[edit]

Its beach stretches from Velddrif and Dwarskerbos almost 40 kilometres north towards Elands Bay,^[3] making it the longest uninterrupted sandy beach in South Africa. ^[4]

Notable people[edit]

• Hannah Botha (1923-2007), an TV and film actress

References[edit]