Before Google Maps, instant reviews and AI-generated itineraries, road trips relied on paper maps, local directions and a willingness to see where the road led. This summer, West Coast Way is bringing some of that curious spirit back, inviting travellers to put down the scrolling and explore the Cape West Coast through real places, real people and experiences that cannot be downloaded. Established in 2014, West Coast Way connects more than 101 things to see and do across six interlinking routes (Cape Way, Culture, Tractor, Foodie, Berg and Wild Routes), linking travellers with the region’s small towns, local businesses, food, nature, heritage and adventure.
Technology may have made travel easier, but it has not replaced the pleasure of asking a local where to stop, discovering somewhere that was not on the itinerary or simply taking the next road because it looks interesting.
“We have never believed that a good road trip should be about ticking off as many places as possible, because the best part is often what happens in between the places you planned to visit,” says Carmen Lerm, founder of West Coast Way and affectionately known as The Weskus Guru. “AI can give you a list of places to go, but it cannot replace the local who tells you where to stop for lunch, the small business owner who shares the story behind what they make, or the feeling of finding somewhere you were not even looking for. That is the kind of travel we want to encourage this summer.”
