De Hoop Nature Reserve

De Hoop is a coastal reserve on the Overberg shoreline, reached by gravel roads and without a town attached to it. The draw is the combination of a large vlei, intact fynbos, high dunes and a protected marine area, and in season it is one of the best places in the country to watch whales from the shore rather than from a boat.

Accommodation here works differently from the rest of the coast. Inside the reserve, the accommodation is run by the reserve's own concessionaire, and the huts on the multi-day Whale Trail are booked through CapeNature directly rather than through any booking site. Outside the gates, farm and guest accommodation around Malgas, Potberg and the surrounding farmland gives the conventional alternative, usually self-catering and usually a drive from the reserve entrance.

Two practical points matter more here than elsewhere. The access roads are gravel for the final stretch, so it is worth knowing the condition and allowing more time than the distance suggests. And there is very little in the way of shops or restaurants nearby, which makes self-catering the normal arrangement and makes it sensible to arrive with supplies.