Cape Town residents can make the most of the Heritage Day long weekend with free entry to four of the City’s nature reserves from Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 27.
The Heritage Month offer gives residents a chance to get outdoors, explore Cape Town’s natural heritage and discover some of the city’s spring landscapes. Visitors can walk and hike, look out for spring blooms and birdlife, or settle in for a family picnic.
The free-entry offer applies to Blaauwberg, Helderberg, Table Bay and Tygerberg nature reserves, which normally charge entrance fees.
The City also manages a wider network of nature reserves and conservation areas that are ordinarily free to visit. These include False Bay, Zandvlei, Wolfgat, Schapenberg, Witzands Aquifer and Edith Stephens nature reserves, among others.
There are plenty of ways to spend the day outdoors. At Blaauwberg, residents can explore the coastline, while Tygerberg offers walking and hiking opportunities with views across the city.
Explore Cape Town’s natural heritage for free this Heritage Day weekend
The wetlands at Zandvlei, False Bay and Table Bay are worth exploring for birdwatching, while Schapenberg Nature Reserve in Somerset West is one of the newer additions to the City’s conservation network.
The City’s deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews, encouraged residents to use the long weekend to experience Cape Town’s natural spaces.
"These reserves protect extraordinary landscapes and biodiversity, and they are also places that residents can experience and enjoy. We encourage Capetonians to use the Heritage Day weekend to visit their local nature reserve or discover one they have not explored before.
“Take a walk in nature, enjoy a family picnic, go birdwatching or simply spend some time outdoors,” he said.
Other reserves to explore include Helderberg, Paardevlei, Steenbras, Harmony Flats, Bothasig Fynbos, Botterblom, Bracken, Durbanville, Uitkamp Wetland and Wolfgat.
The offer covers entrance to the applicable reserves only. Normal charges will still apply to other permitted recreational activities, including water sports.
With Heritage Day falling on Thursday, the long weekend offers a good excuse to swap the usual plans for a day outside and discover a different side of Cape Town.
Dates: Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 27
Cost: Free entry to Blaauwberg, Helderberg, Table Bay, and Tygerberg nature reserves for the offer period.
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