Lekkerwater Beach Lodge

Set in an exclusive corner of the De Hoop Nature Reserve, this modern eco-lodge puts its guests at the heart of an extraordinarily historic and scenically beautiful location. Most famous for its land-based whale watching, De Hoop bursts with life from baboons, ostriches and giant eland antelope to dolphins, tortoises and sea birds – all against a backdrop of flower-filled fynbos vegetation and distant purple mountains. It is as the southern Cape coast once was: one of the most biologically diverse in the world.

There are only seven chalets at Lekkerwater (translated as ‘the place of good water'), positioned along six kilometres or four miles of pristine white-sand beaches. Stroll out onto your private deck and have the turquoise-coloured southern Indian Ocean in front of you – and between about July and November, it may well be a view of whales breaching as they migrate from Antarctica. This is a place to immerse yourself in nature, and you can sit back and let your expert guides open up the landscape for you. There are rock pools to discover, rare plants and birds to tick off, walks and history talks to enjoy, all in a safe, malaria-free environment.

Lying less than a 4-hour drive from Cape Town or the Winelands, open all year round and with mod cons right down to the Wi-Fi connection, Lekkerwater makes a highly rewarding stop on a Cape Town-Garden Route-Eastern Cape itinerary for all types of travellers – from couples, honeymooners and families with young children to wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers and nature photographers.