Arniston
Arniston is a lovely old fishing village with long sandy beaches and many well-restored white thatch fisherman’s cottages (at Kassiesbaai). It’s a quiet place known for its exquisite turquoise sea. The sea is also warmer here, than at Hermanus, as it is east of Cape Agulhas where the warm Indian Ocean meets the cold Atlantic Ocean. It is also famous for its vast cave, Waenhuiskrans. The cave lies about 1 km from the town and can only be seen at low tide. There are not many hotel options available in Arniston. We recommend the Arniston Hotel & Spa with its prime location right on the ocean and close to the picturesque fishing village.
Close to Arniston is Cape Agulhas, the southern most point of Africa. While staying at Arniston, you can visit Cape Agulhas, Waenhuiskrans & De Hoop Nature Reserve.
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Or you can opt to stay in the beautiful De Hoop Nature Reserve, to the west of Arniston. Here you find a stunning coastline of deserted beaches, rocky cliffs, coastal sand dunes, a freshwater lake and a turquoise sea. It offers wonderful whale-watching in season – sometimes even 50 whales at a time,
The walking trails through the fynbos at De Hoop are particularly fine and a ‘must’ if you are a keen bird-watcher. Wildlife includes the Cape mountain zebra, tortoises, ostriches and Bontebok. There are several nature trails of various lengths and mountain biking is also on offer.
There's now also a choice of accommodation from the more affordable but delightful De Hoop collection or the luxurious Morukuru Beach Lodge or the perfectly situated Lekkerwater.
