Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / South Africa / Gansbaai / Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa · Independent · High Luxury
The Lutzeyer family bought an overgrazed Walker Bay farm in 1991 and turned it into a 3,500-hectare fynbos reserve: 1,031 plant species, seven new to science, and three milkwood forests more than a thousand years old. Twenty-seven suites split between Garden Lodge and Forest Lodge look over the whale coast, and Garden Lodge was rebuilt from scratch, reopening in April 2022. The Grootbos Florilegium, Africa's first contemporary botanical-art florilegium, is on view here.
- 27 rooms
- Opened 1994
About Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
- Official counts: 3,500 hectares, 1,031 plant species (seven new to science, about 100 endangered), and three milkwood forests more than 1,000 years old.
- Afrikaans Grootbos means big forest, named for those milkwood stands; Michael Lutzeyer sold his Cape Town business in 1994 to start the guest farm.
- Garden Lodge (11 suites) was rebuilt and reopened in April 2022; Forest Lodge (16 suites) burned in 2006 and reopened about eight months later.
- The Grootbos Florilegium is billed as Africa's first contemporary florilegium, botanical art that also depicts pollinators.
- Walker Bay below is whale-coast water; southern right whales are the marine draw from the ridgelines in season.
The setting
5 km from Walker Bay. 7 km from Gansbaii.
Experiences
- Shark Cage Diving — Listed among the reserve's experiences.
- Whale Watching — Spotting whales and their calves in the ocean.
- Marine Safari — Listed among the experiences.
- Coastal Safari — Listed among the experiences.
- Botanical Tour — Listed among the experiences; learning how bees pollinate flowers is among the curated experiences.
- Walks and Hikes — Listed among the experiences.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Private pool
- Sauna
- Fitness center
- Kids' club
Awards
- Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards (2025)
Open Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.