Arniston & De Hoop

Arniston is a lovely old fishing village with white thatch fisherman's cottages, sandy beaches and warm turquoise waters.

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Overview

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.

Waenhuiskrans

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.

Lekkerwater at De Hoop Nature Reserve

Why We Love It

  • Superb beaches all along the coast
  • De Hoop Nature reserve combines wildlife, fynbos and amazing beaches
  • Turquoise waters for swimming at Arniston
  • Picturesque fishing cottages at Arniston

Lekkerwater Beach Lodge – Kate’s review

Lekkerwater Beach Lodge is on the site of an original holiday homestead which was requisitioned by the Government in the 80s. It is a simply gob-smacking location with views up and down this completely deserted beautiful stretch of beach. Basically this is as good as any beach destination in South Africa. The main lodge is small … Read More

Kate Bergh
Co-founder & Director
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Gloria Darvall

AFRICAN TRAVEL SPECIALIST

Hi I'm Gloria, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience GET IN TOUCH