Cape Town Etc: Stay at Paternoster’s first-ever sustainable collection this secret season

Published by capeetc on May 23, 2024

Gonana certainly rolls nicely off the tongue. Yet, for Swedish owner and interior designer Jonas Sandström, Gonana wasn’t just a name for his properties in Paternoster but rather a way of life. If you’re one of our isiZulu readers, you’d know that Gonana means ‘to embrace’; and embracing nature is what this collection has done, being Paternoster’s first-ever sustainable guesthouse and self-catering properties.

Also read: Gonana Guesthouse in Paternoster celebrates 1 000 days of business

Jonas has seamlessly blended African elements with his Scandi heritage, creating properties that pay homage to their fishing village roots but with modern clean lines and rich textures.

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Almost every piece of furniture has been lovingly made by the hands of local artisans and raw indigenous materials are used wherever possible. Each property is also fully solar-powered, meaning more holidays and fewer interruptions – bliss!

 
In total, Gonana Collection comprises seven properties, all located on the quieter side of Paternoster, known as Bekbaai (Bek Bay), which neighbours the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, the place for miles of protected beaches, along with Cape Columbine lighthouse, built in 1936 on Castle Rock, making it the last manned lighthouse in South Africa.

And if you’re wondering what all the Paternoster fuss is about, take a 1.5-hour drive from Cape Town up the West Coast to see the whales frolicking in the bay from August, or experience the ‘Secret Season’ from May – our favourite time of year!

 
This is when the town quietens down, you can dine without reservations, and very often enjoy summer-like days and cooler evenings.

But where to stay, you ask?

Gonana Guesthouse

Introducing Gonana Guesthouse, perched on a small dune closest to the Nature Reserve and directly on the beach, with a rehabilitated green belt running alongside. Here, you embrace eco-conscious design without compromising on the experience – yes, it’s possible!

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Every morning breakfast is served around the driftwood communal dining table, which has a story of its own – as do most pieces here. This centrepiece belonged to the previous owner and is the centre of new friendships and conversations.

Guests enjoy breakfasts with locally sourced produce and bread baked overnight along with morning muffins, so if you’re planning on sticking to your carb-free diet, you may want to embrace your curves.

The guesthouse comprises seven en-suite rooms and a small self-catering apartment at the entrance. There is a saltwater solar-heated pool that really has been ‘built for the gram’ with an outdoor shower to wash the beach off your feet.

Due to the guesthouse being a place for couples or families travelling with older children (over 12 years only), there are other properties in the collection for those wanting ‘in’ on the collection that offer a similar aesthetic and experience, sans the daily breakfast.

Acacia and Aloe House

Just a 2-minute walk up the road from the guesthouse lies Acacia House (two-bedroom) and Aloe House (one-bedroom). While not located directly on the beach, both properties enjoy spectacular views over the ocean, with balconies soaking up the afternoon sunsets – talk about a braai with a backdrop!

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Both properties are child- and pet-friendly, come with fully equipped kitchens and are serviced daily (as are all the properties), so there’s no need to lift a finger after enjoying a dinner at ‘home.’

There are also indoor fireplaces next to the couches, so bring that book you’ve been threatening to read since January – it’s the season for comfort and lazing, after all!

Coral Villa

At the end of 2022, Gonana added Coral Villa to the collection after restoring and renovating the oldest fisherman’s cottage in Bekbaai. So if you’re looking for an authentic West Coast fisherman’s cottage experience, then Coral Villa is the ‘plek’ for you!

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It has been created for family and friends, with a huge indoor fireplace and long table begging for fireside chats, games of Scrabble and red wine. The property sleeps up to 8 guests and, like the houses, is child- and pet-friendly too.

There is an outdoor braai and front stoep that look out over the indigenous fynbos garden towards the ocean, 60 metres away, providing the perfect waves-crashing soundtrack to your evenings.

The Studios

Behind Coral Villa are three studios, which can be booked along with the older cottage if you’re blessed with an extended family. But if you’re keen on solo travel or treating your ‘better half’ to a breakaway, then the studios may pique your fancy.

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They’re also located a few hundred metres from the local theatre, which hosts many artists and is a firm favourite for locals and tourists.

If you’d prefer to eat in, you’ll be pleased to know that the studios each come complete with a kitchenette, gas stove and mini fridge. You’ll also get to sleep on extra-length orthopaedic mattresses (like all the other properties) and there’s a daybed that can sleep a child. There is also an undercover braai area overlooking the communal indigenous garden.

But Why Paternoster?

To the Catholic Portuguese seamen shipwrecked along South Africa’s West Coast, ‘Paternoster’ formed part of their prayers and cries, meaning ‘Our Father’ in Latin. While for the Khoi tribe, it is believed that Paternoster referred to the beads that they wore called ‘Paternosters.’

But once you stay at Gonana, you’ll realise that the true definition of Paternoster is a place to practice self-reflection and mindfulness and experience a date with nature, whether its taking a stroll to the restaurants up the road or exploring open beaches with e-bikes or on horseback. Your footprints here are the only things you leave behind when staying at the Gonana Collection.

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So instead of waiting for life’s demands to stop creeping in, perhaps it’s time to leave the ‘expected’ and try a place that’s invested in the future of travel.