德胡普自然保护区(De Hoop Nature Reserve)坐落在南非西开普省,占地约34000公顷,是开普花卉区世界遗产地的重要组成部分。这里距离开普敦大约三小时车程,不仅拥有绵延不绝的白色沙丘和碧蓝海景,更是全球公认的陆地观鲸极佳地点。每年冬季和春季,大量南露脊鲸会游近海岸繁育后代,岸边的游客不需要出海,单凭肉眼就能看到巨大的鲸鱼在几百米开外的海面喷水或拍击尾巴。
说起观鲸,很多人会想到赫曼努斯(Hermanus),但德胡普的优势在于人烟稀少且景观纯净。每年6月到11月,超过500头南露脊鲸(Southern Right Whale)会游入这片受保护的海洋区域。8月和9月是最高峰时期,海面上经常能同时看到几十头鲸鱼。站在高耸的沙丘上往下看,视野开阔得惊人。建议带上一副高倍望远镜,虽然鲸鱼有时离岸边非常近,但有了望远镜能看清它们皮肤上的节瘤和喷水的细节。
柯普阿尔斯特(Koppie Alleen)是保护区内最出名的海岸地标。这里的沙丘白得耀眼,沙质细腻如粉末,直接连接着湛蓝的印度洋。在这儿徒步不需要复杂的装备,赤脚走在沙丘脊线上最舒服。海风吹过来的劲儿挺大,哪怕是阳光明媚的日子,耳朵边也会被吹得呼呼响。这片区域有很多潮汐池,退潮时能看到五颜六色的海葵、海星和各种小甲壳动物,非常适合带小孩在海滩边观察生态。
德胡普不仅陆地面积大,海域保护也做得极好。受保护的海洋区域从海岸向外延伸约5公里,禁止任何形式的捕鱼。这种严格的保护措施使得这里的海洋生物密度极高。除了著名的鲸鱼,运气好的时候还能看到成群的海豚在浪花里穿梭。这里的海岸线主要由石灰岩构成,经过千万年的冲刷形成了许多造型奇特的岩洞。涨潮时海水拍打岩石发出的轰鸣声,隔着几百米都能感觉到脚下的震动。
保护区北部的波特伯格山(Potberg)海拔约600米,这里住着西开普省最后一群濒临灭绝的开普秃鹫(Cape Vulture)。这群秃鹫大约有200多只,在悬崖峭壁上筑巢。如果你体力尚可,花上一两个小时爬到山顶的观景台是非常划算的。看着这些翼展超过两米的巨鸟在头顶盘旋,那种原始的生命力非常震撼。记得在登山前去前台登记,保护区对上山人数有一定限制,主要是为了减少对秃鹫繁衍的干扰。
鲸鱼步道(Whale Trail)被誉为南非最美徒步路线之一。这条路全长54公里,通常需要5天时间走完。它之所以珍贵,是因为每天只允许一组人进入,而且需要提前一年左右预订。步道前两天是在波特伯格山脉中穿行,后三天则是沿着海岸线行走。虽然路途较长,但每天入住的木屋设施很齐全,甚至可以申请行李搬运服务。如果没时间走全程,在柯普阿尔斯特附近尝试一段几公里的短程徒步也能领略精髓。
保护区的内陆部分是一片典型的凡波斯(Fynbos)植被区,生活着大量野生动物。在这里驱车游猎不需要向导,自己开车就能看到开普山斑马(Cape Mountain Zebra)、大羚羊(Eland)和白面大羚羊(Bontebok)。这些动物对人类车辆并不陌生,经常就在路边悠闲地吃草。清晨六点半出发时冷到需要抱着热水杯,但那是看动物最好的时机。草丛里偶尔会钻出猫鼬或者陆龟,开车时千万要放慢速度,别惊扰了这些小家伙。
去德胡普的路不算太好走。从R319公路转入保护区的最后50公里全是碎石路。虽然普通小轿车也能慢慢开进去,但还是建议开底盘高一点的城市SUV,否则颠簸得心疼车,且胎噪大得让人头疼。如果想看鲸鱼,9月是黄金档期,天气虽然转暖但早晚温差依然巨大,羽绒服和短袖得换着穿。如果只是为了看沙丘和徒步,4月到5月的秋季气候最稳当,风也不像夏天那么狂野。
目前成人日间游客的门票大约是50兰特,建议出发前查看官网最新信息。保护区里的配套设施比想象中要好。位于巨大无花果树下的无花果树餐厅(Fig Tree Restaurant)提供正餐和下午茶,味道中规中矩,但环境没得说。钱的问题也得算清楚,保护区里没有银行或取款机,虽然大部分地方能刷卡,但带点现金备用总没错。如果打算住宿,除了昂贵的丛林小屋,还有露营地可以选择,但一定要提前在CapeNature官网预订。
如果只是白天进去逛逛,通常不需要提前预约门票,直接在入口处缴费登记即可。但如果你计划入住保护区内的酒店、木屋或露营地,或者想挑战5天的鲸鱼步道,则必须提前预订。鲸鱼步道非常抢手,热门季节往往需要提前12个月规划。
轿车可以进入,但体验感不佳。通往保护区内部的50公里碎石路布满搓板路和坑洼,普通轿车时速很难超过40公里。建议租用两驱或四驱的高底盘SUV,这样能节省至少半小时的车程,也能保护车辆底盘不受碎石撞击。
餐厅提供全天候餐饮,但价格比外面镇上贵一些。保护区内没有加油站,最近的加油站在布雷达斯多普(Bredasdorp)或斯伦丹(Swellendam),距离入口都有超过50公里的路程。进去之前一定要把油箱加满,否则在荒野里油表报警会让你非常焦虑。
观鲸季节从6月持续到11月。8月中旬到9月底是鲸鱼数量最多的时候,经常能看到母鲸带着幼崽在近海嬉戏。10月之后鲸鱼会陆续开始向南极方向迁徙,数量会逐渐减少。如果是为了看鲸鱼,尽量避开狂风暴雨天气,因为浪大会掩盖鲸鱼出水的动静。
Angela Meister The nature reserve is off the beaten track and one needs to go off road through the barren ( in summer) Overberg. What a delight to arrive at the reserve! Flora and Fauna are well preserved, the white sand dunes and turquoise ocean are very scenic, the tidal pools exciting to explore, snorkeling in summer, whale watching in winter and spring, hiking nicest off peak season. On top of all this super nice accommodation and friendly, knowledgeable staff! Last not least an exhibition about the origins of man which adds to the interest. AND we can recommend the restaurant for events. We were privileged to experience the efficient event management with attention for the details. 10*out of 10 . We are and will be regular visitors. Just one word of caution: on arrival via GPS you need to know that Google maps is mis leading you to the Potberg section which is only for hikers of the Whale trail. The nature reserve is signposted "De Hoop Collection" and the sign can be easily missed. Have fun !
Ruan Beautiful and clean Road is mostly gravel and it will be a bit kak to drive a low car here. Use a vehicle with high wheel clearance if possible. The food at the restaurant by the beach was really good.
Owen Nel What a Gem in the Western cape which we visited 27 December 2024 to 02 January 2025 which incorporates the sea,vlei land and Fynbos bush with different and beautiful wild animals.The sea and beach is about 14 km away from the accomodation and requires a bit of exersise to get to and from when at the car park.There is a good restaurant by the name of" Bites" with good food on the way down overlooking the sea.There are different types of accomodation ranging from beautiful chalets painted white and camping amongst the bush and beautiful Milkwood trees with some space between stands.The staff here are very professional,happy and helpful.The food at the restaurant is very good.We really enjoyed our stay at De Hoop Nature reserve.Thank you!!
Chris D. We absolutely loved our stay at De Hoop Nature Reserve! Our two nights at the hotel were very comfortable and provided the perfect base for exploring this stunning coastal paradise. The highlight of our visit was joining the morning bird watching tour - such an incredible experience! We were amazed by the variety of birds and the knowledgeable guides. We would definitely come back to experience more of what this beautiful reserve has to offer. The hotel’s excellent service and comfortable rooms made our stay even more memorable. A perfect destination for anyone looking to experience South Africa’s natural wonders!
Pascale Ghysels It is a long trip off road but the reward is magical: a wild sea, whales, dolphins, it is all in the package. An absolute must see on a trip in South-Africa