De Kelders
De Kelders, literally translated into ‘cellars’ or ‘caves’, is an unspoilt coastal area in the Overberg. It derived its name from caves discovered in its sandstone cliffs and is located near the village of Stanford between Hermanus and the fishing village of Gans Bay.
The sprawling seaside town of De Kelders is characterised by its rough coastline and overhanging cliffs forming natural lookout points to view the whales from June to December.
Drup Kelders, after which the area is named, has several fairly deep freshwater rock pools and the De Kelders cave is the only freshwater cave on the coast of Africa. The Klipgat Cave, just outside De Kelders in the Walker Bay Nature Reserve, produced some of the oldest remains of modern man dating back to some 65 000 to 85 000 years ago.
- Join a cave tour to discover the magical De Kelder caves with a headtorch and helmet; and get a chance to swim in the caves.
- Swim in Stanford’s Bay, a protected cove in the middle of De Kelders.
- Experience some of the world’s richest flora, the mystical Milkwood forest, the fascinating fauna and marine life at Grootbos Nature Reserve.
- Hike the 7km Klipgat trail from the harbour of Gans Bay along the shore to the entrance of the Walker Bay Nature Reserve.
- Cast a line, swim and picnic in the Walker Bay Nature Reserve with its 17km of coastline stretching all the way to the Klein River estuary near Hermanus.
- Enjoy a beer at Gans Bay’s harbour.
- Support the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in Gans Bay
Embark on a shark cage diving expedition. - Watch whales from a boat, the land or aeroplane.
De Kelders is an easy-going residential area around two hours’ drive from Cape Town and has a restaurant, bar, bakery and coffee shop overlooking the whole of Walker Bay. Enjoy spectacular sunsets here while on a relaxing seaside vacation.
As is the case with most popular seaside spots, De Kelders gets busy during summer school holidays when the weather is warm, so plan your holidays out of season around February to May. The winter may be cold and wet from June onwards so consider booking again in October or November.
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