Complex Biodiversity
The small coastal town of Kleinmond is situated inside an UNESCO-declared (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Biosphere about 90 km east of Cape Town between Betty's Bay and Hermanus. Size for size, this 100 000 ha UNESCO registered Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is home to the most complex biodiversity on our planet. The Cape Fold Mountains and highland valleys are home to over 1 880 different species of plants, of which 77 species occur nowhere else on earth but in Kogelberg.
Bounded by the Palmiet Mountains to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Kleinmond nestles along the rocky coastline between the Palmiet Lagoon in the west and the Kleinmond Lagoon in the east. It has been a popular holiday destination ever since farmers from Elgin began using Kleinmond as their annual summer holiday retreat almost a century ago. A Mediterranean climate with long, sunny summer days and wet winters are typical. In addition to this, Kleinmond Lagoon offers safe swimming and canoeing, while the sandy beach off Sandown Bay can be accessed via a footbridge.
Rooisand Nature Reserve
Right next to the town of Kleinmond, you’ll find the Rooisand Nature Reserve. The reserve offers beautiful hiking trails and great opportunities for bird watching in the vleiland.
A herd of wild horses is known to roam free in the marshlands at the Bot River Lagoon area next to the reserve. They are believed to be South Africa's only herd of wild horses in a wetland habitat. It is a fantastic experience to watch as they graze in the shallow marshy land or gallop across the dunes. Human interaction should be kept minimum as the horses are wild, but some horses have been exposed to people and might have a tendency to walk straight up to you or follow you closely.
Highlands Trail
The Highlands Trail is situated near the town of Kleinmond. This coastal town is known for its biodiversity and is, as a result, a popular vacation spot. This means that the landscapes it presents are quite beautiful, and these are best savoured at a walking pace.
The Highlands Trail is a tough two-day hike. The first day covers 21 kilometres, while the remaining 16 kilometres are completed on the second day. Hikers will cross farmlands, beaches and gorgeous stretches of indigenous South African fynbos. Some portions of the trail are easier, giving hikers a welcome break from the more challenging sections.
Bee and Kie Honey Factory
Flanked by the Kleinmond mountains, the Bee and Kie Honey factory produces some of the most delicious honey in South Africa. Bees are vitally important to any ecosystem, and the factory is idyllically placed amongst complex biodiversity in the Kleinmond area. Honey can be used as a treat to add to any dish for sweetness, and possesses a range of medicinal properties - it can be used to treat ailments such as asthma, throat infections, burn wounds and arthritis.
Popular honey products include cosmetics, beauty products, candles and tea. The factory sells honey and beeswax in bulk, as well as honey ‘on tap’. They have about 10 to 15 different honey flavours (depending on the season and the flowers in bloom at the time), which includes fynbos varieties. As the bee population in the country is dwindling, the Bee and Kie Honey factory ensures that bees are kept in close proximity to nature that they need to survive.
In 1910, Lamloch Farm was bought by the Kaplan brothers, which would ultimately become Kleinmond. During the 1940s, a road was built by Ital...
Rated as one of South Africa's favourite towns, Kleinmond arguably has all the important boxes ticked. It is an easy drive from the major ci...