Cycling in Koeberg Nature Reserve

Want to enjoy an easy perfectly maintained gravel road ride near Cape Town where eland, springbuck, zebra and loads of bird life can be found? Then the 3000 hectares Koeberg Nature Reserve on the West Coast is perfect! It is only 30 odd kilometers from Cape Town, next to the town of Melkbos.

The area is pretty flat, with only  50 metres of climbing. The trails are well marked and you have different options to choose from. We did a 24km loop that included the boundary loop, the bird hide with its dams and then down to Jan se Gat on the beach. 

It is rumored that you could also be lucky enough to see snakes in the reserve. We didn't see any puff adder, Cape cobra or the nonvenomous mole snake. We did however come across an angulated tortoise.

The Koeberg Nature Reserve was officially proclaimed a private nature reserve in 1991, and Eskom have built and now maintain a fantastic network of not only mountain bike trails but also hiking trails.

The two hiking trails on the reserve are the 13km Dikkop Trail and  a 2km walk along the beach.

Two major veld types can be seen in the reserve: West Coast Strandveld and dune veld. To see the beautifully formed pure white dunes with green trees surrounding them, is stunning!

Something that not many people realize is that there is a large aquifer or underground lake in Koeberg. The Blaauwberg Municipality pumps approximately 6 000 million litres of water per year from the aquifer for the nearby town of Atlantis. The Atlantis Dunes are also used by sand boarders, quad bikes, off-road motor bikes and 4x4 enthusiasts.
 

What definitely adds to the ride is the fantastic panoramic views of Table Mountain, Robben Island and parts of the West Coast coastline that are enjoyed. We even saw Springbuck grazing on the beach! 

Please remember not to shoot any photographs of the actual power station though.