Hiking stays that support Cape Leopard Trust
20+ results in South Africa
Hike the mountains the Cape leopard lives in, and fund the people who study and protect it. The Cape Leopard Trust works across the Cederberg, the Boland and the Overberg mountains, where a small, shy leopard survives in the fynbos and the kloofs. You are very unlikely to see one; the camera traps do that. But every stay on this page sends a share of its booking commission to the Trust, and the walking is some of the best in the country.
The stays sit at the foot of the trails: Cederberg farms and cottages, Winelands estates below the Jonkershoek and Hottentots Holland peaks, Overberg and Little Karoo villages under the Langeberg and the Swartberg. Autumn and spring are the seasons, cool and clear; winter brings rain and snow on the high ground; summer is hot, so walk early.
Pair the hiking with wine tasting, stargazing in the Cederberg, or a Cape Dutch village stay.
- How does a hiking stay support the Cape Leopard Trust?
- A share of the host's commission on every booking goes to the Trust, which runs research, camera-trap monitoring, conservation and environmental education across the Cape mountains. Guests pay no service fee.
- Will I see a Cape leopard?
- Almost certainly not, and that is normal. Cape leopards are small, solitary and wary, and are known mostly through camera traps and tracks. Sightings are never promised anywhere on Spekboom. What you will see is the mountain fynbos the leopards depend on.
- When is the best time to hike in the Cape mountains?
- Autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) for cool, clear days and, in spring, the flowers. Winter is wet in the Boland and can bring snow to the peaks. Summer is hot; start early and carry water. Some trails require a permit, which your host can advise on.