As with all great endeavours, the Holiday Portfolio brand came from grandiose dreams and humble beginnings. The West Coast property in St. Helena Bay was purchased, the rough sketches drawn, the renovations and branding followed, and the destination launched just in time for the peak holiday season. And just as we became comfortable, the impossible-to -pass-on opportunity in Yzerfontein made its entrance. Now our destination experts are all in to showcase the unmatched beauty of the South African West Coast region to wanderers from all over the world. Property management is handled by the DRVSA Group, an estate agency based in Cape Town, who have been involved in the property industry for more than 30 years.

Da Gama Bay is named after the infamous Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama who came ashore, on 8 November 1497, at what is believed to be the actual site of arrival down on the coast below us, and where a monument is now erected (see our Attractions section for more information). According to the history books, St. Helena Bay was named Bahia de Santa Helena (Portuguese for its current name) after Saint Helena, a devout and influential Christian and the mother of Constantine I, the Portuguese ruler at the time. Today, the village and its 18 bays stretch from Laingville through to Duykereiland, with Paternoster and Saldanha Bay lying further south, and Laaiplek and Velddrif to the east.

St. Helena Bay, a quaint fishing village, is situated along the shoreline of the Vredenburg peninsula where it is one of only three places on a natural continental bay on earth that allows you to observe both the rising and the setting of the sun over the ocean. St. Helena Bay lies approximately 150km north of Cape Town on the R27 on the Cape West Coast. It is also here where you will find Da Gama Bay Holiday Cottages. This Holiday Portfolio Destination offers budget-friendly, self-catering luxury stays. It lies approximately 150km north of Cape Town on the Cape West Coast. It is primarily a fishing village (or rather one of a string of fishing villages along the shores of the bay). The village stretches from Laingville through to Duykereiland with Paternoster and Saldanha Bay lying further south, and Laaiplek and Velddrif to the east.