The De Hoop Vlei MTB Experience is a unique and bespoke getaway weekend adventure in the Western Cape’s flagship Marine Nature Reserve, De Hoop. This is not a race, though. Think of it as a curated bike tour through the varied terrain the 34 000 hectare De Hoop Nature reserve offers – from fynbos to whale watching, vlei-side trails to dodging zebra, the well-marked routes will encourage you to ride your bike and stop in wonder, in equal measure, returning each day to a pampering for you and the rest of the family.

Two-and-a-half hours from Cape Town, The De Hoop Collection offers an array of overnight options, and first-class food in its Fig Tree restaurant. There are few MTB venues that offer the hospitality, service, staff, food and exquisite accommodation that the De Hoop Collection does, and that is what makes this weekend so memorable.

And we haven’t even talked about the wildlife. Expect eland, bontebok and Cape Mountain zebra to accompany you on your exploratory ride when you arrive, as well as at your front door, along with baboon and ostrich for some last-minute intervals if you need them! That is just a glimpse – the bird life is exceptional, and you can expect more than your fair share of smaller critters – mammals, reptiles, the lot.

The riding on the De Hoop Vlei Experience is mostly on jeep tracks with some technical limestone single tracks. It is aimed at intermediate and advanced riders, with a longer 63km stage on Saturday, and a faster 38km on Sunday providing a slightly more technical challenge, including the best the De Hoop Nature Reserve has to offer.

The two days of riding have been reversed from last year, with the longer stage on Saturday journeying from The Opstal at De Hoop to as far as Potberg, and the famous Vaalkrans trail along the wild, beautiful coastline. Take this section at a chilled pace, as your chances of spotting a whale or three are  pretty high! There is  a brand new section of trail for 2023, too, joining the Flatrock single track, which will showcase the best of the Ramsar Vlei, with rocky cliffs covered with phenomenal coastal fynbos an abundant bird life.

De Hoop is one of just 23 Ramsar sites in South Africa, and one of more than 2 000 across four continents. These are protected wetlands overseen by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat. It is named after the city in Iran where this world-wide drive to protect wetlands and, in particular, the waterfowl that call them their home, was ratified in 1971. It’s not hard to convince visitors De Hoop is one of the most spectacular, and the best way of all to experience this international celebration of wetland beauty is by bike (or by foot, if the new trail run tickles your fancy), and again with a sundowner at the Fig Tree.

There will also be an easier social ride on the Saturday which will cover a less demanding, shorter route if the big miles are intimidating, and don’t miss out on Friday afternoon’s Sunset Scramble, a 12km a warm up ride along the Vlei to the De Hoop’s newest lodge, De Mond Villa, along the shores of the vlei. The Sunset Scramble starts at 16h00.

The final bit of innovation for 2023 is the trail run (which can be walked, too) which promises to be spectacular as it traverses the rocky edges of the vlei, where the wild and bird life is most abundant.

The perfect family adventure getaway to an untouched gem near the Southernmost Tip of Africa.

 

3 Days of Mountain Bike Riding:

Sunset Scramble: Friday 26 May: 12km, starts at 4pm

Stage 1: Saturday 27 May: 62km, 750m elevation

Stage 2: Sunday 28 May: 38km, 500m elevation

 

De Hoop Vlei ONE (1) Day MTB option 

(Short non-technical route)

Saturday 27 May: 28km, 300m elevation

 

De Hoop Vlei Trail Run: 

Saturday 27 May: 12km

 

Registration at De Hoop Collection on Friday 27 May: 14h00-19h00

 

Enter now and secure your booking with the De Hoop Collection – RIGHT HERE