Things to do at De Hoop
- Whale-watching
- Day trips
- Conferences & Incentivies
- Hiking
- Mountain Biking
- Weddings & Romance
- The Ultimate Family Getaway
Accommodation
- Camping and Caravan sites at the Opstal
- Campsite Rondawels at the Opstal
- De Hoop Village at the Opstal
- Equipped Cottages at the Opstal
- Koppie Alleen
- Melkkamer Foremans Cottage
- Melkkamer Vlei Cottage
- Opstal Houses
- Opstal Manor House
- Vlei Cottages
Special Offers
Join us for classical music, Woman's Day celebrations, delicious food, walks and other activites.
Reservations
Click here to contact us. Alternatively, give us a call on the following number.
CALL US
0861 De Hoop
+27 861 334 667
+27 (0)21 4224522
De Hoop Hiking
Few other reserves offer as complete an outdoor experience as De Hoop. Hikers have close-up encounters with bontebok, Cape mountain zebra, eland, red hartebeest, baboons and ostrich. Choose between various day walks or the multi-day Whale trail.
De Hoop Coastal Trail
This gentle linear trail begins at Koppie Alleen. Enjoy either a beach walk or an exploratory ramble along rocky shores. The boardwalk takes you to the water's edge to explore rock pools, limestone cliffs and rocky outcrops. The dunes present unusual and fun-filled walks, which are best at low tide when the beach sand is most suitable for walking and coastal limestone platforms become exposed. The rock pools are ideal for swimming and snorkeling.
De Hoop Klipspringer Trail
Hike 6 km (about 2 hours) in the Potberg Mountains in the northeastern section of the De Hoop Nature Reserve with views of the Breede River valley, the Cape vulture colony and gorgeous floral fynbos. The Cape vulture colony at Potberg, with 25 breeding pairs, is the only remaining breeding colony in the winter rainfall region.
De Hoop Vlei Trail
The Vlei (wetland) Trail starts near the reserve office with three variations to the trail (Grebe Trail, Heron Trail and Coot Trail) and hikers may walk the entire 15 km to Die Mond or cut their walk short by circling back along either one of two jeep tracks. All three variations of the Vlei Trail are well signposted. The Grebe Trail, the longest route, takes approximately three hours to complete and affords hikers good views of the vlei as well as many opportunities for bird watching. The Heron Trail may be walked in less than two hours while the shortest route, the Coot Trail, may be completed in an hour.
The multi-day Whale Trail
This world-renowned 6-day route stretches over 54 km from Potberg to Koppie Alleen offering an unequalled whale-watching experience during whale season (July to November). During the summer months, the rock pools in this marine reserve are snorkeling treasure troves. With five overnight stops along the route the Whale Trail provides the opportunity to explore the unsurpassed natural diversity of the De Hoop Nature Reserve. These include the fynbos-clad Potberg mountains, the marine protected coastline renowned for its snorkeling and whale-watching and an abundance of indigenous plants. Hikers should be on the look out for members of the last remaining vulture colony in the Western Cape, numerous other bird species and small antelope. The trail is designed for nature lovers with a moderate degree of fitness and portage is available. To make a booking please contact our reservations office
