Built on a hillside where a continent ends, two oceans collide, and the smallest of the world’s six floral kingdoms flourishes, the lodges of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve are uniquely positioned to capture the magic of South Africa’s Western Cape. Below, Walker Bay stretches to the horizon, home to the “marine big five”: great white sharks, southern right whales, seals, penguins, and dolphins; and vast coastal caves bear traces of a Stone Age civilization. Blanketing the hillside with bright, intricate flowers of every shade is the fynbos, or “fine bush,” a hardy, complex plant family endemic to South Africa.
The reserve was named Grootbos—an Afrikaans word meaning “big forest”—for the enchanting milkwood forests that cover the hillside. The lodges were built into natural clearings in these gnarled, ancient trees. Both acclaimed restaurants feature excellent cuisine with a focus on local seafood, and they, like the stylish suites and the elegant common areas, are all oriented toward an expansive, breathtaking vista of mountain, fynbos, and sea.
