Reserves

Visit our Reserves

As of 1st April 2022, no firewood may be brought into any CapeNature reserves in an attempt to mitigate the effect that the Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer has on trees. Visitors can bring their own charcoal or eco-logs. Some of the reserves also sell firewood, eco-logs and charcoal. Please contact them before your arrival to check on the availability of these items.

Please be aware of the presence of bees and ticks on our trails. If you have allergies to bee stings, ensure you bring your own antihistamines or necessary medication, as we do not provide these on the reserves. For tick prevention, we recommend treating your clothing with tick spray before hiking.

We have 25 reserves offering tourism products for you to visit and enjoy. Use the map to browse and click on the reserve of your choice.

Cape Karoo

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Anysberg Nature Reserve

Anysberg Nature Reserve is located in the semi-arid Klein Karoo, between the towns of Ladismith, Laingsburg, Touwsrivier and Montagu. The reserve, officially proclaimed in 1990, encompasses 79 629 hectares of plains and the majestic Cape Fold Mountains, with deep valleys and steep gorges.

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Gamkaberg Nature Reserve

We are fortunate in the Western Cape. The land forever heightens our sense of exploration with its expanses and its wilderness. And with the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve in the Little Karoo, we need not go far to find a place with such space and detachment.

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Swartberg Nature Reserve (Die Hel)

Swartberg Nature Reserve lies between the Great Karoo and Klein Karoo, forming a narrow but long stretch of 121 000ha. The reserve was declared a World Heritage Site in 2004 and is bordered by Gamkapoort Nature Reserve immediately to the north (8 000ha) and Towerkop Nature Reserve immediately to the west (51 000ha).

Winelands

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Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve

Assegaaibosch is a small nature reserve in the Jonkershoek valley. It is about 9km from Stellenbosch, and 204 hectares in size. The reserve lies next to the Eerste River, which forms the northern boundary and extends up the north-eastern slope of Stellenbosch Mountain.

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Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve

This nature reserve lies in the majestic Hottentots Holland Mountains, about 90km south-east of Cape Town. The 70 000-hectare reserve stretches from Elgin in the south to beyond Villiersdorp in the north, and from the Stellenbosch Mountains in the west, eastwards to the Groenland Mountains, and is a World Heritage Site.

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Jonkershoek Nature Reserve

This nature reserve is home to the majestic Jonkershoek Mountains and parts of the Jonkershoek valley. The reserve, which includes the smaller Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve, lies near the town of Stellenbosch in the south-western Cape.

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Limietberg Nature Reserve

Limietberg is a pristine nature reserve tucked away in the Du Toitskloof Mountains, near Paarl. The reserve stretches from Franschhoek in the south, eastwards towards Groot Drakenstein, and northwards as far as Voëlvlei Dam and is a World Heritage Site.

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Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve

Vrolijkheid is a striking, rugged nature reserve in the Breede River valley, about 15km south of Robertson on the road to McGregor. The rocky landscape is starkly beautiful, dominated by patches of succulents, dwarf trees and shrubs.

Overberg

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Bliss on the Bay (Pringle Bay)

Bliss on the Bay is based in the coastal town of Pringle Bay between Rooi Els and Betty's Bay.

This amazing house is truly unique and one of a kind in the CapeNature stable of properties. It’s superbly located, within the Brodi Link Nature Reserve, on the outskirts of Pringle Bay village in the Overberg.

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Boosmansbos Wilderness Area

Boosmansbos Wilderness Area, next to the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve in the Langeberg Mountains, boasts dramatic mountainous terrain, wild indigenous forests, lush mountain fynbos and almost exclusive access for visitors wanting to explore the wilderness.

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De Hoop Nature Reserve

De Hoop is one of the largest natural areas managed by CapeNature. This beautiful reserve is a favourite for hikers, cyclists, bird and whale watchers. The reserve, which is 34 000 hectares, is just three hours from Cape Town, in the Overberg. 

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De Mond Nature Reserve

De Mond is a beautiful coastal nature reserve at the mouth of the Heuningnes River. It lies about 26km south-east of Bredasdorp on the south-western Cape coast, between Arniston and Struisbaai and is a World Heritage Site.

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Geelkrans Nature Reserve

Nestled on the eastern side of Stilbaai, Geelkrans Nature Reserve beckons travellers with its breathtaking coastal beauty. Adventurous souls can explore the reserve via coastal hikes, revelling in dynamic sandstone cliffs and extensive intertidal zones. Scenic wooden decks provide perfect spots for picnics and taking in the picturesque views.

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Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve

Originally known as Melkhoutskraal, the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve encompasses 250 hectares of indigenous forest in the Langeberg region, close to Heidelberg. It has only been a reserve since 1986 and was declared a World Heritage Site in 2004.

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Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Considered by many to be the most beautiful of CapeNature’s protected areas, Kogelberg Nature Reserve earns that reputation largely to the fact that it occupies an area with minimal human interference. Its exceptional diversity and quality of fynbos means it is considered the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The reserve presents perhaps the finest example of mountain fynbos in the Western Cape and is a world-renowned World Heritage Site.

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Marloth Nature Reserve

Marloth Nature Reserve is hidden away in the imposing Swellendam Mountains, between Swellendam, Ashton, Barrydale and Suurbraak. The peaceful reserve, which is 14 123 hectares in size, is managed together with 16 532 hectares of privately owned land, and is a World Heritage Site.

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Stony Point Nature Reserve

Stony Point Nature Reserve is home to a unique colony of African penguins and offers the public the chance to see these wonderful flightless birds up close, via the boardwalk through the colony, which allows the public to observe the penguins go about their daily activities in their natural habitat, without disturbing or disrupting them.

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The Whale Trail (De Hoop Nature Reserve)

De Hoop is one of the largest natural areas managed by CapeNature. This beautiful reserve is a favourite for hikers, cyclists, bird and whale watchers. The reserve, which is 34 000 hectares, is just three hours from Cape Town, in the Overberg. 

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Walker Bay Nature Reserve

Walker Bay is a coastal nature reserve in the south-western Cape, just east of Hermanus. The reserve includes five coastal areas between Hermanus and Die Dam near Struisbaai.

West Coast

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Cederberg Wilderness Area

The Cederberg was proclaimed as a Wilderness in 1973. The 66811 ha of mountainous terrain is located in the Cape Floral Region only three hours outside Cape Town, but it feels like a different world.

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Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area

The Groot Winterhoek Wilderness is known for its rugged, wild landscape, with exceptional rock formations carved by the elements. This mountainous area lies about 120km north of Cape Town, near Porterville.

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Lambert's Bay Bird Island Nature Reserve

Bird Island lies about 100m off the shore of Lambert's Bay on the Cape's West Coast. It offers visitors a rare opportunity to see the blue-eyed Cape gannet up close. Bird Island is one of only six sites world-wide where Cape gannets breed, and it is the only breeding site easily accessible to the public.

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Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve

Proclaimed as a nature reserve in 2000, and inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2014, Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve occupies a very special part of the Western Cape. The 12 800 hectare nature reserve is located in the ecotone where the transition of Fynbos and Succulent Karoo vegetation interface.

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Rocherpan Nature Reserve

Rocherpan is a coastal nature reserve teeming with birds and colourful wildflowers. The reserve, which lies 25km north of Velddrif on the Cape West Coast, consists largely of a seasonal vlei that is usually dry between March and June.

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Rocklands in the Cederberg

The Rocklands area forms an integral part of the Cederberg Wilderness and is also proclaimed as a World Heritage Site. Rocklands also includes the areas at CapeNature’s Kliphuis, and partner properties at de Pakhuys, Traveller's Rest, Agter Pakhuis and Kleinfontein. It is a world famous bouldering destination with the bouldering season lasting from 30 April to 01 October every year.

Garden Route

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Goukamma Nature Reserve

We recommend that you use a vehicle with a high ground clearance when traversing on reserve.

Goukamma Nature and Marine Reserve was proclaimed a marine protected area in 1990 and it is heralded as one of the country’s conservation success stories. The reserve stretches along 16.5km of the coastline between Buffalo Bay and Platbank, and 2 500 hectares inland.

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Keurbooms River Nature Reserve

Keurbooms River Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site, is an exquisite, small reserve of just 740 hectares located in the lush Garden Route region just outside Plettenberg Bay. The Keurbooms River passes through the reserve bringing an abundance of water from further up in the Tsitsikamma Mountains to enter the ocean through the stunning estuary.

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Outeniqua Nature Reserve

Located close to the Garden Route town of George and easily accessible from Mossel Bay, Knysna and Oudtshoorn, the Outeniqua Nature Reserve is about a five-hour drive from Cape Town.

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Robberg Nature Reserve

Robberg, situated 8km south of Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, is not only a nature reserve, but also a World Heritage Site. Rocks from this region date back 120 million years to the break-up of Gondwanaland.