Romantic Gansbaai: Cliffs, Wine and Forest
A Quiet Coast for Couples
Gansbaai suits couples who like a slow pace: cliffs with whales close inshore, a forest with very old trees, a wine estate beside a dam and a botanical reserve with an art gallery. The village is about 160 to 165 km from Cape Town, so most couples arrive by car in 2 to 2.5 hours and stay two or three nights. Prices are in South African rand (R).
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
Grootbos has two luxury lodges, Garden Lodge and Forest Lodge, on the R43 between Stanford and Gansbaai. Lodge rates are package rates and vary, so ask the lodge for a quote. The Botanical Art Gallery Tour costs R300 per person, lasts two hours from 10:00 to 12:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and stays indoors, which makes it a good rainy day plan. The Florilegium Half Day Tour costs R1,250 per person for South African residents and R1,950 for international visitors, runs about 4.5 hours from 09:30 on Wednesday to Sunday, and combines a 4x4 botanical safari with a gallery visit and a light high tea. Book ahead, as groups are limited to 10 and the minimum age is 12.
Horse riding is reserved for lodge guests and is not part of the tours.
Platbos Forest Suites
Platbos offers off-grid tented suites for two, called the Honey Bee Suite and the Bush Buck Suite, and the Old Olive Cabin, which has a hot tub. Bookings go through Nightsbridge. Day visitors can walk the forest trails for R50 per adult between 08:00 and 17:00.
Lomond Wine Estate
Lomond is on Avoca Road, about 8 km from town. The tasting room looks over a dam and is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00, except on 25 December and 1 January. Platters come with Stonehouse cheese, cured meats and trout from Lomond Dam. Ask the estate for tasting and platter prices.
De Kelders Whale Cove
Whale Cove is a group of self-catering apartments in De Kelders, and some have balconies with whale views from June to November. Rates vary by unit. If you are not staying there, the De Kelders cliff path is free and gives close views of southern right whales in the same months.
Practical Tips
The open coast has cold water and strong currents, so swim only in sheltered spots such as Stanford’s Cove. Avoid driving after dark between lodges and dinner. The Lomond tasting room closes at 16:00, so plan it as a late lunch rather than dinner.
Read more: Gansbaai multi-day trips for a full plan, or sightseeing for daytime stops.
Search stays on Booking.com , and see details on the Lomond Wine Estate site , the Platbos site and the Grootbos tours page .