Hondeklipbaai

Afrikaans name: Hondeklipbaai

The boulder that gives Hondeklipbaai its name

Photo © Johan van Zyl

Northern Cape

The small coastal village of Hondeklipbaai gets its name from a boulder that is roughly in the shape of a dog. When translated from Afrikaans you get "Dog Stone Bay".

Hondeklipbaai is located on the northern stretch of the South African west coast and is 95 km west of Springbok.

The harbour at the village was initially used for the exporting of copper ore from mines in the vicinity of Springbok but this business was later moved to Port Nolloth. Today it serves a small fishing industry as well as diamond-mining that takes place in the region.

It is also a bit of a tourist destination with two ship-wrecks in the area and not forgetting its "famous" boulder. These are the Aristea and the Jahleel.

The wreck of the Aristea

Photo © Johan van Zyl

Some of the buildings in this tiny village

Photo © Johan van Zyl

References and further reading

Southern Africa from the Highway - Author: AA RSA - Published: 1991 - Page: 152

Things ewe never knewe about South African place names - Author: Ann Gadd - Published: 2015 - Page: 98

Readers Digest Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa - 4th edition - Author: - Published: 1986 - Page: 166

Getaway - Vol 32 No 12 - Author: - Published: 2021 - Page: 89

On Route - A region by region guide to South Africa - Author: B.P.J. Erasmus - Published: 1995 - Page: 347

Country Life - Issue 178 - Author: - Published: 2011 - Page: 21

Conollys Guide to Southern Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Denis Conolly - Published: 1982 - Page: 354

---

Top