Enjoy The Beauty Of The Overberg

Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy is an organisation that was formed to protect the natural and cultural diversity of over 20,000 hectares of lowland fynbos and forest, in the greater Gansbaai area. This region of exceptional beauty lies within the heart of South Africa’s Floral Kingdom and has much to offer nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. The Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy has made available fynbos hiking trails, MTB and 4X4 routes, and a kaleidoscope of birdwatching opportunities so that the public can share in the wonders of this precious destination. For travellers who enjoy a tranquil getaway, Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy has eco-friendly accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, which includes self-catering cottages, guesthouses, lodges and campsites. Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy relies heavily on donations and volunteers to uphold its quest to uplift the local community.

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About

About

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In 1999, landowners were invited to several meetings,  leading to the formation of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy on the 29th of September 1999.

Over 40 landowners manage the 20,000+ hectares of lowland fynbos and forest, which has high conservation value and is known globally as the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy is proud to be endorsed by international award-winning sponsors who have gained international acclaim in conservation and responsible tourism.

Sponsors
  • Department of Environmental Affairs in Partnership with the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative
  • Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP)
  • Grootbos Foundation
  • Whitley Awards Foundation
  • WWF South Africa (World Wide Fund for Nature) - Sanbi Groen Sebenza Programme
Members

Members

The Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy includes:

  • Amare
  • Avuka
  • Awilla
  • Batavia
  • Bella Vista Country Place
  • Bhungani
  • Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat
  • Boesmansrivier
  • Brown Dog
  • Byeneskrans
  • Fair Hill 
  • Farm 215
  • Flower Valley
  • Giant Periwinkle
  • Goedvertrouw - De Villiers
  • Goedvertrouw - Philippus
  • Groeneweide
  • Grootbos Foundation
  • Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
  • Grootvlei
  • Heidehof
  • Helderfontein - Botha
  • Helderfontein - Naude
  • Koude Vlakte Nature Conservancy
  • Landen Hill
  • Lomond
  • Molteno Brothers
  • Mosaic Private Sanctuary
  • Panthera Africa
  • Platbos Forest
  • Rainbow Farm
  • Reiersvlei
  • Rivers End
  • Sandberg Fynbos Reserve
  • Southern Bloom
  • Tony Richards
  • Walker Bay
  • Windheuwel
  • Witkrans - Morgan
  • Witkrans - Privett
  • Wolwefontein
  • Wortelgat
Projects

Projects

Conservation and preservation are at the forefront of Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy’s ethos and ongoing projects include:

Wildlife Monitoring
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In 2015 the conservancy acquired eight camera traps (funded by Grootbos Nature Reserve), placed at various strategic sites across the conservancy. 

Since then, the Grootbos Foundation received funding for an additional 30 traps, and together with privately owned cameras, landowners within the conservancy have been able to learn more about the movement of the animals in the area.

Alien Clearing
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The Department of Environmental Affairs funds an alien clearing project run by Flower Valley Conservation Trust. 

Funds are allocated to properties where landowners have invested in the conservation management of their land. This has provided much-needed employment for teams that have received training facilitated by the Grootbos Foundation.

Vegetation Surveys
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Over the last 17 years, the conservancy has recorded 1,000+ species of indigenous plants, including eight endemic to the area and six new to science. 

The long-term goal is to link the conservancy with the Agulhas National Park, some 25 kilometres southeast by securing and establishing high-priority land to establish a recognised, functional and economically viable corridor.

Fire Management
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The conservancy members belong to the Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association and form a fire management unit with trained staff and firefighting equipment.

Environmental Education
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The Flower Valley Conservation Trust, Grootbos Foundation and Skills Exchange Cooperative have programmes that focus on upliftment and development within local communities, with a strong environmental component.

Accommodation

Accommodation

Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy promotes sustainable tourism and provides a selection of eco-friendly accommodation options that include:

Bellavista Country Place

A guest house between, Gansbaai and Stanford, set on 300 hectares of Indigenous fynbos offering a panoramic view of Walker Bay.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (catered luxury suites and a self-catering cottage)
  • Restaurant
  • Swimming Pool
  • Nature Walks

Contact Bellavista Country Place, here.

Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat

A spiritual retreat set on 217 hectares of natural fynbos at the foot of the Witkransberg, just outside Stanford.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (catered and self-catering)
  • Restaurant
  • Retreat Activities
  • Hiking Trails
  • Labyrinth
  • Swimming Ponds

Contact Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat, here.

Farm 215 - Nature Retreat & Fynbos Reserve

A sustainable nature retreat set in amongst 800 hectares of fynbos in the Uilkraal Valley, between Stanford and Cape Agulhas. 

Amenities:

Accommodation (freestanding suites and rooms in an old homestead) 

  • Restaurant
  • Swimming Pool (25m lap pool)
  • Fynbos Hiking Trails
  • Horse Riding

Contact, Farm 215, here.

Fountainbush Cottage @ Amàre Farm

A small organic farm between Stanford and Gansbaai that is home to happy horses, cows, pigs, chickens and children.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (self-catering cottage)
  • Fynbos Walks
  • Swimming (farm dam)
  • Petting Farm
  • Kiddies Play Area

Contact Fountainbush Cottage @ Amàre Farm, here.

Goedvertrou Guest Farm

A working dairy farm in Papiesvlei that borders the Salmonsdam Nature Reserve between Gansbaai and Stanford. 

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (rustic self-catering cottage and a bush camp for camping)
  • Fynbos Hiking Trails
  • MTB Trails
  • 4X4 Routes (self-drive)
  • Bird Watching
  • Swimming (farm dam)

Contact Goedvertrou Guest Farm, here.

Groeneweide

A family-friendly country destination set on the slopes of a fynbos-covered mountain just outside Gansbaai, with a magnificent elevated view of the Atlantic Ocean and Dyer Island. 

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (self-catering cottage)
  • Restaurant
  • Nursery
  • Petting Farm
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

An award-winning five-star eco-paradise close to Gansbaai set on 2,500 hectares of pristine wilderness with access to mountains, forests and sea. 

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (luxury lodges and villas)
  • Restaurants
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pools
  • Hiking Trails
  • Milkwood Forests
  • Guest Experiences (external)

Contact Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, here.

Mosaic Lagoon Lodge

A boutique-style guest resort and luxury spa alongside the Hermanus Lagoon and Klein River Mountains just past Stanford.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (luxury lodge)
  • Restaurant
  • Spa
  • Wedding Venue
  • Fynbos Hiking Trails
  • Fynbos Quadbiking Trails
  • Riverboat Cruises

Contact Mosaic Lagoon Lodge, here.

Perivoli Lagoon House

An eco-friendly destination, with 140 hectares of untouched fynbos and 180-degree views of the Hermanus Lagoon and Klein River Mountain just outside Stanford.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (luxury self-catering home)
  • Swimming Pool
  • Fynbos Hiking Trails
  • Fynbos Quadbiking Trails
  • Riverboat Cruises
  • Private Chef (with prior arrangement)

Contact Perivoli Lagoon House, here.

Platbos Forest Reserve

An off-the-grid destination just outside Stanford where you can immerse yourself in nature, restore your soul, and reconnect with the rhythms of the earth

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (tented camps and cabins)
  • Forest Hiking Trail
  • Labyrinth
  • Nursery

Contact Platbos Forest, here.

Spookhuis Cottages

A destination set along one-and-a-half kilometres of unspoiled lagoon shoreline and 1,000 acres of Indigenous fynbos that backs onto the Walker Bay Nature Reserve between Hermanus and De Kelders.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (self-catering cottages)
  • Fynbos Hiking Trails
  • Fynbos Quadbiking Trails
  • Riverboat Cruises

Contact Spookhuis Cottages, here.

Witkrans Farm

A 35-hectare farm nestled in the eastern slopes of Witkransberg in the beautiful Flower Valley.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (self-catering cottages)
  • Fynbos Hiking Trail
  • MTB Trail 
  • Bird Watching

Contact Witkrans, here.

Vleiroos @ Sandberg Fynbos Reserve 

A 700-hectare property located in the heart of the Cape’s floristic region between Baardskeerdersbos and Elim.

Amenities:

  • Accommodation (self-catering cottage)
  • Guided Fynbos Safaris
  • Self-Drive Fynbos Safaris
  • Birding Tours
  • Fynbos Hiking Trails
  • MTB Trail

Contact Vleiroos @ Sandberg Fynbos Reserve, here.

Birding

Birding

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Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy, and its colourful and bountiful landscape, is a paradise for an array of bird species that visit the 9,000+ plant species that grow in it. 

Birding enthusiasts are spoiled for choice when it comes to viewing opportunities and the abundance of feathered beauties ranges from waders to birds of prey, and everything in between. 

You might even spot the ever-so-rare Hottentot buttonquail (Turnix hottentottus).

Contact the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy for more information about the best spots for your self-guided birding tours.

Hiking

Hiking

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Explore Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy's hiking trails, that are suited for walkers of all fitness levels. 

Embark on a guided or self-guided fynbos safari and discover the beauty that awaits in the Cape Floral Kingdom. From fields covered in sprays of pink when the Erica irregularus blooms in spring, gorges where you can take a refreshing dip in mountain ponds, to hilltops showcasing breathtaking views of Walker Bay, this is a natural destination that will keep you coming back for more.

Contact the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy to find out where the best hiking routes are. Alternatively, you can arrange a knowledgeable guide with an extensive background in botany and fynbos ecology to guide you on your next hiking adventure.

Hiking Packages:

Klipspringer MTB Trail

Klipspringer MTB Trail

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The Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy invites you, and your mountain bike, to experience custom-built MTB trails and tracks. The Klipspringer MTB Trail is one of the most popular and consists of four routes, all starting and finishing at Lomond Wine Estate. 

Cost: 

Day permits and annual memberships can be purchased at the Lomond Tasting Room.

Klipspringer Route (25km - 600m vert.)

A custom-designed mix of singletrack and gravel roads, long climbs that take you to the top of fynbos-covered mountains with breathtaking views, followed by fast and fun descents.

Fish Eagle Route (17km - 210m vert.)

A gravel road and two-track route that follows the rolling hilltops around the Lomond dam.

Leopard Route (12km -315m vert.)

A mostly singletrack route that features the best trails the area has to offer. A steep and technical climb takes you to the top of the highest point on Lomond. The descent includes jumps, berms and rocks.

Caracal Route (9km - 210m vert.)

A blend of singletrack and two-track, this route offers a quick sample of the best views and flowing trails that the area has to offer.

 If you require more information, please contact Lomond directly.

Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting

The award-winning vineyards found in the maritime climate of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy thrive on the cool sea breezes that ensure the vines are kept at a moderate temperature. Although this results in grapes ripening a little later than usual it also has them bursting with flavour.

The unique blend of geography, geology and climate has resulted in a terroir that is perfect for wine production.

Make your way along wine routes less travelled and discover wine estates that include:

Day Trip Fees & Annual Permits

Day Trip Fees & Annual Permits 

All proceeds gained from permits directly benefit Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy.

  • Day Trip Permit - R50 
  • Annual Permit - R400

Contact Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy for more information, alternatively, permits can be purchased directly from Lomond Wine Estate.
 

Volunteer

Volunteer

The Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy’s non-profit organisations use skilled, and specialised volunteers, for their various conservation and upliftment programmes. These organisations include:

Flower Valley Conservation Trust

The Flower Valley Conservation Trust works to conserve the vulnerable Fynbos Kingdom and protect those livelihoods who depend on it. The trust has the following focus areas:

  • Sustainable Harvesting
  • Ethical Fynbos Trade
  • Alien Clearing on the Agulhas Plain
  • Eco-School (Early Childhood Development)
  • Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative
  • Responsible Tourism

For more information about the trust, to donate or become a volunteer, see here.

Grootbos Foundation

The Grootbos Foundation transforms communities through ecotourism, enterprise development, sports development and education. Many of the projects are self-sustaining and generate an income and are partially self-sustaining. The foundation’s implementation strategies are based on three integrated umbrella programmes that include:

  • Green Futures - Conservation
  • Football Foundation - Sport for Development
  • Siyakhula - Creation of sustainable Livelihoods

For more information about the foundation, to donate or become a volunteer, see here.

Skills Exchange Cooperative

The Skills Exchange Cooperative was formed by a group of like-minded businesses that include Farm 215, Whalesong Lodge, African Horse Company, CART, and Lomond Wine Estate. The cooperative’s main focus is:

  • Social Development
  • Skills Development

For more information about the cooperative, to donate or become a volunteer, see here.

Donations

Donations

Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy thanks you for your donation.

Banking Details:

Bank: First National Bank
Account Name: Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy
Branch Code: 200412
Account Number: 62066278667

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