Waenshuiskrans Nature Reserve

Formerly known as Waenhuiskrans until a ship by the name of Arniston was wrecked here, the village is a much sought after holiday residence because of its sea views and stands on a hill overlooking the harbour, approximately 190 kilometres from Cape Town and close enough to Cape Agulhas to claim a share as the southern-most tip of Africa.

Waenhuiskrans is the alternative name for Arniston – the town with two names – a beautiful little seaside village that functions as one of the only places between the village of Stanford and De Hoop nature reserve with a real hotel.

The name also serves as the title for the nature reserve lying but a short distance from the village where one can view the tidal cave for which it is named – a cave so large that an ox wagon and its span of oxen could make a comfortable about turn whilst still in the cave.

Access is not possible except at low tide, but a 1.5 kilometre walk takes you to the spectacular cave from the beach – along a road, a bit of a climb up and down sand dunes, followed by a wade through a couple of tidal pools (make sure you have shoes with which you can walk over barnacle encrusted rocks). There are actually two caves, the first of which is fairly low and shallow, whilst the second, and more famous one, leads off that – well worth the effort.

The ‘Waenhuiskrans Grot!’, or wagon house cliff cave is the main attraction of the Waenhuiskrans Nature Reserve, which is an extended area of sand dunes and some superlative views of the coastline. There are lovely walks through the reserve, and, as 4×4 vehicles are no longer allowed on the dunes, the reserve is at once restful and peaceful.