Port Nolloth sits where the Namaqualand desert runs straight into the cold Atlantic, and it feels like the edge of everything. This is a small harbour town on the north-west coast of South Africa, close to the Namibian border, with sandy streets, a handful of brightly painted houses, and a rocky shoreline where kelp piles up on the beach. The sea here is fed by the Benguela current, bringing water so cold that fog drifts in on many mornings and swimming is for the very brave.
The town was founded in the 1850s as an outlet for copper mined inland at O'okiep, and for a time ore was hauled to the coast by mule and then by a narrow-gauge railway. Later came diamonds, and today the town is a base for small-scale and offshore diamond divers, whose boats and compressors you may see in the harbour, and for fishermen who catch west coast rock lobster, the local crayfish, in season. A small museum covers the history of the harbour and the mines, and the wreck-strewn coast has claimed many ships over the years.
The ride to get here is long and empty, in the best sense. From the N7, the road runs west across the flat, gravelly plain of Namaqualand, with horizons that go on forever, past small farms and the occasional donkey cart, and in spring the verges may be covered in daisies. There is almost no traffic, so you can settle into a rhythm, though wind and blowing sand can be a nuisance, and a cold sea mist can drop the temperature by ten degrees within minutes. Dress in layers, and keep your visor clean.
Beyond town, roads continue north toward the Richtersveld, a wild landscape of rock and succulents that is part of a transfrontier park, mostly on gravel tracks that need preparation and a capable bike. Port Nolloth has fuel, a couple of guesthouses and restaurants serving fresh fish and crayfish, and a hardware shop, but the nearest large town is far off, so fill up at every chance and carry water. The sunsets over the cold, grey ocean are memorable, and the smell of kelp and salt stays with you.