De Hoop Collection

a World Heritage fynbos and marine reserve

De Hoop Collection is based at the De Opstal farmstead, a cluster of whitewashed, thatched buildings overlooking the De Hoop Vlei, some 7 km inland and around a 25-minute drive from the coast at Koppie Alleen. It sits within the De Hoop Nature Reserve, on the Whale Coast, roughly 250 km and three hours east of Cape Town.

De Hoop Collection runs the tourism and accommodation concession within the reserve, which is managed by CapeNature and forms part of a World Heritage Site, with a marine protected area extending some 5 km offshore.

This wonderful coastal reserve is definitely the wilderness highlight of this part of the coast. It consists mainly of rare fynbos vegetation, with its myriad of rare and endemic plant species. There are also 86 mammal species including bonteboks, Cape mountain zebras, elands, baboons and caracals, plus over 260 bird species.

Accommodation and facilities are spread across two areas. The main hub is the Opstal farmstead, where most of the cottages, suites and the campsite are found, alongside the Fig Tree Restaurant overlooking the vlei, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a boules court, a spa, a bar and curio shop, an activities desk and mountain-bike rental. A second, more remote cluster, Melkkamer, lies across the vlei around a 40-minute drive away, with a andful of self-catering houses and cottages for guests seeking greater seclusion.

Rooms

he Collection offers a wide range of accommodation, from affordable self-catering chalets and cottages to catered suites and exclusive-use houses. The key distinction is catering: the cottages, houses and rondavels have equipped kitchens and are self-catering by default (guests bring their own supplies), while the suites have no cooking facilities and are catered, with dinner, bed and breakfast served in the Fig Tree Restaurant. Torches and complimentary firewood are provided in the suites; self-catering guests should bring their own.

Catered suites (Opstal area, dinner, bed and breakfast):

• Cloete Suite : x4 : one bedroom, en-suite bath and shower, near the restaurant, grassland or courtyard views
• Opstal Stable Suite : one bedroom, en-suite, king bed
• Dassie Suite : one bedroom, en-suite
• Fig Tree Suite : one bedroom, en-suite, by the restaurant
• Otter Suite : one bedroom, en-suit

Manor house and camping (Opstal area):

• Opstal Manor House : 3 rooms, by the room or on an exclusive-use basis
• Campsite Rondawel : x5 : twin beds, no cooking facilities, shared bathroom

Melkkamer (around a 40-minute drive, more secluded):

• Melkkamer Manor House : exclusive-use house
• Melkkamer Vlei Cottage : self-catering cottage on the vlei
• Melkkamer Foreman’s Cottage : self-catering cottage

Self-catering cottages and houses (Opstal area):

• Equipped Cottage : x7 : 2-3 bedrooms, full kitchen, outdoor braai, sleeps 4-6 (includes the three bedroom Eland)
• Opstal Vlei Cottage : x3 : 2 bedrooms, kitchen, fireplace, partial vlei views
• De Hoop Village Cottage : self-catering cottages close to the Opstal hub
• Cloete Cottage : self-catering cottage
• Opstal House : larger self-catering houses for families and groups

Activities

Activities on the De Hoop Nature Reserve are a mix of land, marine and vlei-based experiences, at their best for shore-based whale-watching in season.

• Whale-watching from the shore (Jun-Oct)
• Guided fynbos and inter-tidal nature walks
• Mountain biking
• Snorkelling and swimming in the rock pools
• Motorboat cruise on the vlei
• Vehicle safari
• Coastal hiking, cave tours and sand-boarding

This is the most aesthetically pleasing location from which to view whales from the shore, when southern right whales come in to breed and calve, with the high dunes at Koppie Alleen the prime vantage point. The reserve is also known for the multi-day Whale Trail, a five-day, roughly 55 km hike from Potberg to Koppie Alleen, which is booked separately through CapeNature. Note that daytime self-driving is allowed but there is no driving in the reserve after sunset.