6 Best Sights in The Western Cape and Winelands, South Africa

Covering 88,900 acres of isolated coastal terrain as well as the undersea world below the waves, this reserve deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Massive sand dunes, rolling mountains, and rare lowland fynbos are home to eland, bontebok, and Cape mountain zebra, as well as more than 250 species of birds. (Keep an eye out for the blue crane, South Africa’s national bird.) Though the reserve is only three hours from Cape Town, it feels a world away. 

This is a fantastic place to watch whales from the shore—not quite as easy as in Hermanus, but much less crowded. You can also hike the enormously popular Whale Trail, which runs through the reserve. A shuttle service takes your bags to each new stop, so all you have to carry is a small day pack and a water bottle between overnight stops. Book up to a year in advance to enjoy the Whale Trail, or try to snag a last-minute cancellation. Self-catering cottages sleep up to four people and range from basic to fully equipped.

You can still enjoy De Hoop without doing the Whale Trail; there are delightful day hikes, beautiful and largely unpeopled beaches and excellent bird-watching, including a viewing platform where you can lie down and watch Cape vultures swooping overhead.

Access is via a dirt road between Bredasdorp and Malgas. From Bredasdorp take the R319 to Swellendam. At about 6 km (4 miles) turn right at the sign posted De Hoop/Malgas/Infanta. Follow the road for 35 km (21.2 miles) until you see the sign for the reserve. Malgas is home to the last hand-drawn car ferry in the country. It's fascinating to watch the technique, as the ferry operators "walk" the ferry across the river on a huge cable, leaning into their harnesses.

Hugging the coast, this is one of South Africa's lesser-visited parks. There's no big game, but you'll likely see some antelopes. Keep an eye out for the rare Cape grysbok, which hides out in the coastal fynbos. Shift your gaze to the ocean and you might spot Cape fur seals, and in the winter and spring months, dolphins and whales. You can visit the southernmost point without paying for entrance to the park, and there's a lovely coastal boardwalk outside the park, but if you feel like stretching your legs for longer, there are two-day trails inside park boundaries. The 5½-km (3½-mile) Rasperpunt Trail starts and ends at the Meisho Maru Shipwreck. The 10½-km (6½-mile) Two Oceans Trail is only open to overnight visitors. Accommodation is in delightful wooden chalets and old stone cottages.

Along the coast just south of Paternoster, the 692-acre Columbine Nature Reserve is a great spot for spring wildflowers, coastal fynbos, and succulents. Cormorants and sacred ibis are common here, and the population of the endangered African black oystercatcher is growing each year. Die-hard anglers revel in the abundant fish. There is also a squat lighthouse that you can climb for a small fee. A round trip through the reserve is 7 km (4½ miles). It's very exposed, however, so don't plan to walk in the middle of the day or you'll end up with some serious sunburn. The dusty road has no name, but head south out of town and ask directions along the way. It's impossible to get lost—there aren't that many roads to choose from.

Midway between Betty's Bay and Kleinmond is Kogelberg Nature Reserve, a 66,000-acre area of fynbos that extends from the mountains almost to the sea and includes most of the course of the Palmiet River. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in the 1990s, it has fauna and flora found nowhere else in the world. Take one of the well-marked nature walks through the reserve and you are sure to see some of the area's magnificent birds, including the Hottentot buttonquail, the orange-breasted sunbird, and the African purple swamphen. There are also mountain biking trails to explore, and you can go rafting on the river. One of the reserve's best-kept secrets is its eco-friendly cabins that can sleep up to four people.

If you need to stretch your legs, take a hike in the Marloth Nature Reserve. Four walks, ranging from two to six hours, explore some of the mountain gorges. There is also a challenging and beautiful multiday hike that must be booked well in advance. An office at the entrance to the reserve has trail maps and hiking information. If you're doing a day walk, park outside the entrance boom. Although you can stay in the reserve until sunset, the gates close at the time advertised.

From August to early October, the wonderful Tienie Versfeld Wildflower Reserve is an unpretentious, uncommercial little gem showing off a range of South African veld plants. Look out for the geophytes—plants uniquely adapted for this type of environment—which come in a striking array of sizes and colors.