Kleinmond sits half an hour west of Hermanus, where the Bot River lagoon tries to reach the sea. The old fishing harbour is now a square with restaurants, shops and benches above the water, small enough to walk round in ten minutes. The main beach holds a full Blue Flag for the 2025/26 season, like Grotto Beach in Hermanus (as of August 2026), and is guarded in summer. Behind it the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve begins, the richest fynbos at the Cape, with trails from the Palmiet River.
- west of Hermanus
- 30 km
- main beach 2025/26 (as of August 2026)
- Blue Flag
- UNESCO biosphere reserve
- Kogelberg
- wild at the Bot River lagoon
- horses
The Rooisand horses are what most people remember: a herd of around two dozen animals that has lived wild in the reeds of the Bot River lagoon for generations, descended from farm horses. From the car park at the Rooisand Nature Reserve a boardwalk runs out to a hide; with luck the horses are standing in the water, and there will certainly be flamingos in it. Further west the Clarence Drive begins.
- Time needed
- half a day
- Cost
- free
- When
- all year
- From Hermanus
- 30 km, 30 minutes
Our tipRooisand in the late afternoon: the horses come down to the water to drink, the light lies flat over the lagoon, and the flamingos fly in.
Kleinmond: common questions
Where are the wild horses near Kleinmond?
In the reeds of the Bot River lagoon, in the Rooisand Nature Reserve. A boardwalk runs from the car park to a hide. Around two dozen animals, descended from farm horses; in the late afternoon they come down to the water to drink.
Does Kleinmond have a swimming beach?
Yes. The main beach holds a full Blue Flag for the 2025/26 season (as of August 2026) and is guarded in summer. Behind it the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve begins, with trails from the Palmiet River.