Merrell Whale of Trail 2027

Where to stay

Staying inside the reserve puts you right where the weekend happens. Registration, the Friday briefing dinner, the early transfer to the start at Potberg, and the prize giving dinner on Saturday night all happen at De Hoop Collection. When the day is done, you are a short walk from your bed.

There are two ways to stay inside the reserve for race weekend: with De Hoop Collection, in a cottage, suite, rondawel or campsite, or in our glamping village at the heart of the race hub. Booking for both opens on Monday 2 November at 08h00, and the details are below.

Booking opens

Monday 2 November 2026
at 08h00

Race weekend

Friday 20 and Saturday
21 August 2027

Arriving early or staying on

Add Thursday 19 or Sunday 22 August at De Hoop Collection

In the reserve

De Hoop Collection

Every room sleeps two. Prices are per room, per night, and include VAT.

Self catering cottages

For families and groups who would like their own kitchen and a braai. Book a single room and share the cottage or house with the guests in the other rooms, or book the whole place for your group.

De Hoop Village

9 cottages · 3 bedrooms each · sleeps up to 6

R1,450 per room, per night
Bunk room R1,150

Whitewashed fisherman style cottages, each with a double, a twin and a bunk room, one bathroom, a kitchen and an outdoor braai. Book a room and share the cottage, or book all three rooms and have it to yourselves.

Photos and details

Equipped Cottages

6 cottages with 2 bedrooms · 1 with 3 bedrooms (Eland)

R1,460 per room, per night
3 bedroom cottage R1,350

Cottages in the centre of the reserve with a full kitchen, a lounge and dining area, and an outdoor braai. Each has one bathroom.

Photos and details

Opstal Houses

4 houses · 3 bedrooms each · sleeps up to 6

R1,625 per room, per night

Houses among the milkwood trees, with a double and two twin bedrooms, a sitting room, a dining room, a fireplace and a full kitchen.

Photos and details

Opstal Vlei Cottages

3 cottages · 2 bedrooms each · sleeps up to 4

R1,990 per room, per night

Thatched cottages with a double and a twin bedroom, a living area, a fireplace and a full kitchen.

Photos and details

Suites

Rooms with their own bathroom, a kettle and a bar fridge, but no kitchen. Most are close to the Fig Tree Restaurant.

Stable Suite

1 suite · sleeps 2

R3,680 per night

A suite near the courtyard and its old fig trees, with a king size bed and its own bathroom.

Photos and details

Opstal Suites

7 suites · sleeps 2 each

R5,695 per night

The four Cloete Suites, the Cloete Cottage Suite, the Figtree Suite and the Vlei Suite, set around the courtyard. Each has a king size bed and its own bathroom with a bath and shower.

Photos and details

Otter Suites

3 suites · sleeps 2 each

R5,695 per night

Suites beside De Hoop Vlei, each with a king size bed, its own bathroom and a seating area outside looking over the water.

Photos and details

Dassie Suite

1 suite · sleeps 2

R6,750 per night

A suite with a king size bed, its own bathroom, a sitting area and a fireplace.

Photos and details

Opstal Manor House

2 large rooms and 1 small room · book a room or the whole house

R5,695 per large room, per night
Small room R2,550

The restored original homestead. The large rooms have their own bathrooms; the small room has twin beds and is usually used for children. There is a bar fridge but no kitchen.

Photos and details

Rondawels and campsites

Simple places to sleep, with shared bathrooms.

Campsite Rondawels

5 rondawels · sleeps 2 each

R1,615 per night

Thatched rondawels, each private to you, with two beds, a kettle, a bar fridge and a braai. Shared outdoor showers and toilets close by. No kitchen.

Photos and details

Campsites

9 sites · up to 6 people per site

R550 per site, per night

Sites with electricity, a communal kitchen and a communal bathroom. One six person tent, or a mix of smaller tents, per site. Some sites take caravans. The CHC contribution is R250 per site.

Photos and details

De Hoop Collection

Good to know

Rates are per room per night, each room sleeps two, and VAT is included. There is a two night minimum, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 August, and you are welcome to add a night on either side, Thursday 19 or Sunday 22 August. Meals are not included, but your race entry already includes the Friday briefing dinner and the Saturday prize giving dinner.

De Hoop Collection adds a once off Conservation, Heritage & Community (CHC) contribution to every booking: R250 per guest per stay for everyone aged 12 and over, or R250 per campsite. It goes to the care of the reserve, its heritage and the local communities around it. Read more

Places at De Hoop Collection are limited and tend to go quickly, so it is worth having a second choice in mind. Coming with family or friends? Any cottage, house or the Manor House can be booked as a whole, so your group has the place to itself. If you book a single room, you share the kitchen, bathroom and living area with the guests in the other rooms.

How booking works

Booking opens on Monday 2 November at 08h00.
Email De Hoop Collection at nicola@dehoopcollection.co.za. Rooms are allocated first come, first served, in the order your email arrives.
In your email, include your name, your first choice and a second choice, how many rooms you need, how many people, and the nights you would like.
De Hoop Collection will confirm your booking and send you their payment and cancellation terms.

Or call 021 422 4522

In the race village

Glamping

So that there is room for every runner and their family on race weekend, we set up a glamping village in the heart of the race hub, alongside De Hoop Collection.

Each tent has two beds made up with cotton linen, a duvet and pillows, a side table and two chairs. Shower and toilet trailers are brought in and cleaned throughout the weekend, and there is a charging station and a central tent with hot water, tea and coffee.

A tent for two, two nights

R3,500

Friday 20 and Saturday 21 August. The village is set up by Thursday, so if you arrive early, the Thursday night is free.

Glamping is not limited, so there is room for everyone who would like a tent. You can book any time from Monday 2 November at 08h00, and payment is only due by 31 May 2027.

Staying outside the reserve

For places to stay nearby, see Cape Agulhas Tourism and Swellendam Tourism. If you are staying outside the reserve, you can register at Potberg on race morning from 06h00.

Bringing family or friends

Your race entry covers your CapeNature conservation fee. Anyone with you who is not running pays CapeNature’s conservation fee per person, unless they have a Wild Card. Meals for supporters can be bought in the month before the race.

On the Whale Journey?

Your accommodation is already taken care of. Read about the Journey

Before you book

Questions

How many nights do I need to book?

De Hoop Collection has a two night minimum: Friday 20 and Saturday 21 August. You can add Thursday 19 or Sunday 22 August as well.

Can our group book a whole cottage or house?

Yes. Any cottage, house or the Opstal Manor House can be booked as a whole. Book every room in it in one email. If you book a single room, you share the place with the guests in the other rooms.

Are meals included?

Not with the accommodation. Your race entry includes the Friday briefing dinner and the Saturday prize giving dinner. The cottages and houses have kitchens and braais, the suites do not, and most suites are close to the Fig Tree Restaurant. Meals for supporters can be bought in the month before the race.