Opstal Otter Suites

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... is located in the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Whale Coast area of the Western Cape in South Africa.

De Hoop is a wonderful 340 square kilometre coastal reserve, lying some 250km east of Cape Town, is the wilderness highlight of this part of the coast. It is comprised mainly of rare fynbos vegetation, with its myriad of 1500 rare and endemic plant species. There are also 86 mammal species including bonteboks and cape mountain zebras, plus 260 bird species. It is also the most aesthetically pleasing location from which to view whales from the shore July to October, although from a greater distance than other locations.

At the heart of the reserve is an old farmstead known as De Opstal, situated some 7km inland from the coast and overlooking a large lagoon. There are lots of accommodation options here, with cottages of various specifications, plus camp grounds. Other facilities include a restaurant, bar, shop, pool and tennis court.

The three Opstal Otter Suites lie around 200 metres southwest of the original farmstead, overlooking the lake. They are very pleasantly presented. Meals are taken in the main restaurant, although it may be possible to have them delivered to your suite. It is definitely one of our favourite options in this central area, even if it can get rather busy around the restaurant and communal facilities during the holiday seasons.

Activities on the De Hoop Nature Reserve include gentle vehicle safari, sand-boarding, cave tours, snorkelling, mountain-biking, quad-biking, coastal hiking and whale-watching (generally from Jun/Nov) At De Opstal there is the main restaurant, a tennis court, two swimming pools, a gym and a small spa.


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