Cape Town residents are invited to explore the city’s natural heritage, with free entry to the City’s nature reserves from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September. Residents can walk and hike, enjoy some of the spring blooms, go bird watching or make use of picnic areas for family outings.

The Heritage Month offer provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to spend time outdoors, enjoy the Spring landscape and discover a nature reserve they may not have visited before, the City said.

Reserves included in the free-entry offer

The free-entry offer applies to Blaauwberg, Helderberg, Table Bay and Tygerberg Nature Reserves, which usually charge entrance fees.

A wider network of conservation areas

In addition, the City manages a network of nature reserves and conservation areas across Cape Town that residents can ordinarily visit free of charge. These areas protect Cape Town’s biodiversity while giving residents access to places for walking, hiking, birdwatching, picnicking and other nature-based activities.

“This Heritage Month we want to celebrate Cape Town’s natural heritage,” said Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for Spatial Planning and the Environment. “These reserves protect extraordinary landscapes and biodiversity, and they are also places 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 bird watching or simply spend some time outdoors.

Where to explore

Residents could, for example, explore the coastline at Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, walk or hike at Tygerberg Nature Reserve, visit the wetlands at Zandvlei, False Bay or Table Bay nature reserves, or discover the Schapenberg Nature Reserve in Somerset West, one of the newest additions to the City’s conservation network.

Nature reserves to explore

• Blaauwberg Nature Reserve;
• Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve;
• Botterblom Nature Reserve;
• Bracken Nature Reserve;
• Durbanville Nature Reserve;
• Edith Stephens Nature Reserve;
• Harmony Flats Nature Reserve;
• Helderberg Nature Reserve;
• Paardevlei Nature Reserve;
• Schapenberg Nature Reserve;
• Steenbras Nature Reserve;
• Table Bay Nature Reserve;
• Uitkamp Wetland Nature Reserve;
• Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve;
• Wolfgat Nature Reserve.
• Zandvlei Nature Reserve.

Visitors are to note that normal charges will still apply to other permitted recreational activities at the reserves such as water sports.

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