Outdoor Activities in Betty’s Bay
Fijnbos Lodge & Spa is your home away from home in Betty’s Bay. Set in natural surroundings, the lodge offers a haven perfect for short visits and extended stays.
The Betty’s Bay area offers an abundance of activities for outdoor enthusiasts when they are not relaxing at the lodge.
Beaches
The coastline is mostly made up of rocky outcrops but now and then the rocks give way to pristine beaches that are perfect for walks, swimming and surfing. Rolling dunes greet visitors and stretch out either side of the 4km main beach. At the end of Betty's Bay, you will find a 200m dune drop that is perfect for sand-boarding. The view is splendid regardless of where you are on the coast of Betty's as the ocean is laid out in front of you with the backdrop of mountains behind. The beaches are empty most of the time and during peak season it fills up just enough to entice the holiday feeling.
Harold Porter Botanical Garden
The garden can be found within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. As you enter the gates you will find about 10-hectares of cultivated gardens, most likely with baboons frolicking in between the neatly trimmed shrubs. Then, there are over 190-hectares of natural coastal fynbos that includes iridescent waterfalls, amber pools, deep gorges, forests, fynbos flats with and huge dunes adjacent to the beach that are just waiting to be explored.
Stony Point Nature Reserve
There are only two shore-based African Penguin colonies in South Africa, Boulders Beach and Stony Point. The penguins began to breed at Stony Point after the old whaling station was abandoned in 1930. The best time to visit these rare tuxedo birds is in the morning or late in the afternoon as they are usually out at sea during the day, sometimes venturing up to 20km away. The area is protected and visitors are only permitted to walk along a wooden pathway that curves through the colony.
Hiking
There are several trails marked for hikers but even a simple stroll along the coast will offer great views. Harold Porter Botanical Gardens is home to the majority of hiking routes in Betty's Bay and you can choose between garden strolls exploring indigenous fynbos trails, hikes to waterfalls and treks for the more experienced and fit hiker.
Whale Watching
The Overberg coastline is well known for its whale-watching opportunities. Despite the variety of species of whales to spot, the most popular is southern right whales that migrate to the southern coastline from June to December to calve, mate and have a whole lot of fun.
