Lekkerwater
- De Hoop Nature Reserve
- 7 Rooms
- ZAR 7,700 - 13,500 per night
De Hoop Nature Reserve is a stunning coastal reserve in the Western Cape of South Africa known for its rich biodiversity. Covering 34,000 hectares, the varied landscapes include pristine beaches, sand dunes, limestone cliffs, wetlands and rolling hills covered in rare fynbos vegetation.
Often referred to as the ‘jewel of the Western Cape, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a haven for wildlife, including endangered species like the Cape mountain zebra, bontebok, and a variety of birdlife. De Hoop Nature Reserve hosts over 260 bird species, making it a prime destination for bird watchers.
It’s also a top spot for land-based whale watching. Southern right whales are often seen along the coast during breeding season, from mid-July to November.
De Hoop contains some of the best-preserved examples of coastal Early Stone Age through to Later Stone Age archaeology in the Western Cape.
De Hoop Nature Reserve lies in the middle of the Cape Floral Kingdom with its extensive biodiversity and is a significant conservation area in South Africa.
The 34 000-hectare reserve in the Western Cape region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
Lekkerwater lodge is on a private concession in the eastern reaches of the reserve.
De Hoop’s marine reserve, which extends 5km out to sea, is one of the largest marine protected areas in Africa. This area is at the confluence of the warm Agulhas and nutrient rich cold Benguela currents and offers good land based whale watching, particularly during the southern right whale breeding season.
De Hoop features a diverse range of habitats that support its rich biodiversity, these include:
Fynbos, with its many endemic species, is the dominant vegetation. Pockets of Strandveld, with its nutritious grasses and palatable shrubs, support large herbivores.
De Hoop lies three hours drive from Cape Town in the Overberg region, near Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa. It is a convenient destination for travellers exploring South Africa’s Garden Route.
A scenic 90-minute helicopter transfer from Cape Town to Lekkerwater in De Hoop is a highlight.
The closest airfield to Lekkerwater is the gravel airstrip in the western part of the De Hoop Reserve, about a 1 hour and 40 minutes’ drive to Lekkerwater which makes this option less practical for Lekkerwater guests.
The area has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winter
The temperature here ranges from a high of 26°c in the summer, with an average of 22°c, to a minimum of 8°c in winter, with an average temperature of 12°c.
It receives rainfall throughout the year but most of it occurs in winter, between June and August.
De Hoop Nature Reserve is home to over 86 mammal species. These include the rare bontebok and Cape mountain zebra, eland, grey rhebok, chacma baboon, yellow mongoose and caracal. Leopard, although rare, are also found in the reserve
More than 260 bird species have been recorded in the reserve – including the Western Cape’s only remaining breeding colony of the endangered Cape Vulture – making it a prime destination for bird watchers. De Hoop supports a large number of resident and migratory bird species. Several water birds breed in the reserve. You can expect to see Caspian terns, lesser and greater flamingos, pelicans, cardinal woodpeckers, African fish eagles, endangered African black oystercatchers and many waterfowl species.
This remarkable coastal reserve is particularly famous for offering some of the world’s best land-based whale watching. During winter and spring (July to November) southern right whales migrate here from Antarctica to calve in the warm seas offshore. Since 1985 these waters have been designated as a Marine Protected Area, and sea life has flourished. While whales are the stars of the show, guests may also look forward to sighting dolphins, seals and myriad sea birds