Image related to website content

FREE Access Week back this September 2020!

7 Sep 2020

Image related to website content

What a year it's been!  A Covid-enforced lockdown has kept people around the globe confined to their homes for most of 2020. There is reason for optimism however as travel restrictions have been eased in recent months. Spring has arrived and September is both Tourism Month and Heritage month in South Africa when we rejoice in and celebrate the beauty of our natural heritage.

To mark the significance of tourism and heritage, we're delighted to announce that day access to selected CapeNature reserves will be free from 16 to 22 September 2020.

Image related to website content

There are so many reasons to be proud of our rich natural beauty. Did you know that the Western Cape Province is home to a number of World Heritage Sites, so named because they meet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) requirements for containing fauna and flora of outstanding universal value?  Or that the Cape Floral Region (one of the six floral kingdoms in the world) has the highest concentration of plant species in the world. It contains an estimated 9 500 species, of which 70% do not grow anywhere else in the world.

Image related to website content

If you crave adventure in the outdoors, our pristine beaches, scenic forests and rolling mountains provide the perfect backdrop for hiking, cycling and swimming to get the blood pumping.

So what more opportune time to reconnect with our natural heritage by exploring the Western Cape and experiencing the sights and sounds of nature?  Whether you’re heading to the Garden Route, the Overberg, the Winelands , the Karoo or the West Coast, you’ll be able to visit a CapeNature reserve and experience your natural heritage.

Image related to website content

Experience the rare thrill of catching a glimpse of diverse animal and bird life in their natural habitat.

Participating Reserves

West Coast

  • Groot Winterhoek
  • Cederberg
  • Matjiesrivier
  • Rocherpan

Winelands

  • Limietberg
  • Jonkershoek
  • Assegaaibosch
  • Hottentots Holland
  • Vrolijkheid

Overberg

  • Kogelberg
  • De Mond
  • De Hoop
  • Marloth
  • Grootvadersbosch

Garden Route

  • Robberg
  • Keurbooms River
  • Goukamma

Klein Karoo

  • Swartberg (Gamkaskloof/DieHel)
  • Gamkaberg

Terms and Conditions 

The following terms and conditions apply to this campaign:

  • The conservation fee will be waived for visitors to selected CapeNature reserves between 16 and 22 September 2020.
  • No pre-bookings required. Daily reserve maximum capacity availability applies to visitor walk-ins.
  • Free access fee will pertain to general access (conservation fee) and hiking and mountain biking. The waiver will NOT apply to the Whale Trail, partners or concessions (including canopy tours, bouldering, horse riding etc).
  • R0 rated permits needs to be given to everyone accessing the reserve during this time, as per usual standard procedure to ensure that all access numbers and activity numbers are recorded.
  • Access to Protected Areas during the CapeNature Access Week will be conducted during regular reserve hours and applies to entries at CapeNature reserve gates.

Visit www.capenature.co.za to learn out more about Access Week 2020 and remember to tag us on social media when visiting the reserves using the hashtag #AccessWeek and #TourismMonth.  There's a reserve rich with heritage close to you - go and experience it for free during access week!

Share:

Related News

Ms Rosalind Innes a visitor from the UK saved by field rangers from a daunting experience at Robberg Nature Reserve
20 Feb 2026
CapeNature rangers praised for heroic rescue of stranded UK tourist

A visit to the iconic Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area — one of the Garden Route’s most celebrated gems — turned into a life-threatening ordeal for a London tourist, and a powerful reminder of humanity of CapeNature’s field rangers. For Ms Rosalind Innes, Robberg had been a long-awaited addition to her South African travel itinerary.

Some of the Confiscated Lizards found in the room
16 Feb 2026
CapeNature bust - R500,000 fine for illegal reptile trafficking in the Western Cape

On Thursday, 12 February 2026, a Spanish citizen Mr David Navarro Roman (41) was convicted in the Vredendal Regional Court for the illegal possession and importation of 22 Armadillo Girdled lizards (Ouroborus cataphractus) and one speckled dwarf tortoise (Chersobius signatus) from Northern Cape to the Western Cape.

Reverse the Red Image 1
7 Feb 2026
How CapeNature and partners "Reverse the Red"

Reverse the Red is “a global coalition of conservation organisations and species experts working together to accelerate action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss” and every year, 7 February marks Reverse the Red day. The term stems from the effort conservations make to try and reduce the number of species on the IUCN Red List.

Cape Nature goes cashless at select nature reserves
4 Feb 2026
CapeNature goes cashless at select nature reserves

In line with its commitment to service excellence, sustainability, and safety, CapeNature is excited to announce the transition to a fully cashless payment system at five of its flagship nature reserves from 2 February 2026. The move will streamline operations, reduce queue times, and enhance the visitor experience while reducing the risks associated with cash handling.

Rocherpan Image
2 Feb 2026
Celebrating the cultural heritage of wetlands on World Wetlands Day 2026

As the world commemorates World Wetlands Day annually on 2 February, CapeNature joins communities across the Western Cape in recognising the deep and enduring relationship between people, culture and wetlands, celebrating under the 2026 theme “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge… Celebrating Cultural Heritage”.

De Hoop Vlei i Stock 2190671395
1 Feb 2026
Wetlands are where nature, life, and culture converge

Before rivers find their way to the sea and before landscapes are shaped by roads and towns, wetlands quietly do the work of sustaining life. They are places where water, land and living memory meet. As we mark World Wetlands Day on 2 February under the 2026 theme, “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: celebrating cultural heritage”, we are reminded that protecting these ecosystems.