A stay at Lekkerwater Beach Lodge can involve as much or as little activity as you prefer. The goal for my stay there was to relax and unwind but also to explore the De Hoop Nature Reserve and discover as much nature as possible.

There were some fantastic activities on offer, and I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to experience them.

The marine walk at Lekkerwater Beach Lodge

The marine walk was the one I was most excited about and it did not disappoint. Our guide Billy took us on a magical 2-hour walk through the tidal pools, beaches and caves along the coast. The lodge provided us with aqua socks, which meant we were able to walk over rocks, through tidal pools and on the sandy beaches comfortably.

We set off walking along the coast where Billy pointed out an abundance of marine wildlife including Starfish, Octopus, various fish and plant-based wildlife, only to name a few. The tidal pools were beautiful to explore with numerous different forms of marine wildlife to see amongst the beautiful clear blue water.

We also hiked up some of the rocks, to explore some caves, which led us to stunning views of the coastline. When we returned to the lodge, it was time for a refreshing drink and some time to relax on the decked terrace taking in the sea views.

The fynbos walks at Lekkerwater Beach Lodge

Later that afternoon, we set off on our second walk of the day, this time to explore the fynbos (exclusively found in the Western and Southern Cape). We departed from the lodge and set off hiking up a path inland. It wasn’t long before Billy was pointing out an abundance of different and beautiful plant species and helpfully explained a lot about them.

De Hoop Nature Reserve is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, and as a result, we saw some plant life unique to this area. After another informative and enjoyable walk, we headed back to the lodge just in time to enjoy some delicious sundowners on the beach.

The gorge walk at De Hoop Nature Reserve

The third walk we got to enjoy at Lekkerwater was a hike through a gorge and along a path which was once a flowing river. It was a slightly more challenging hike on uneven trails with a bit more climbing, which I enjoyed and there was some spectacular scenery to take in.

Billy explained how the Cape Leopard has survived here for so many years and showed us evidence of its presence. He also talked about other wildlife, including pointing out some of the 250 species of bird recorded in the De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Other exciting activities at Lekkerwater Beach Lodge

In addition to the guided walks, there were other activities we enjoyed at Lekkerwater. One morning, after a stroll along the dunes, we headed to the beach with boards and had some fun bodyboarding on the waves. A Jacuzzi has recently been fitted on the beach at Lekkerwater which we also enjoyed taking a dip in, with a glass of Rosé to top it off.

Sundowners were organised in different locations every evening. One evening a bar was set up on the rocks by the beach and we watched a beautiful sunset while sipping some MCC. On another evening, a gin bar on the terrace was set up with a romantic fire to sit around once the temperature dropped. I made sure I was ready in time for the sundowners every night as the sunset was just too incredible to miss out on.

I loved the variety of relaxation and activities on offer at Lekkerwater Beach Lodge, and I came away feeling re-charged but with a sense of having enjoyed exploring the De Hoop Nature Reserve at the same time. It would be wonderful to add Whale watching to the list on our next visit during Whale season (September).