Around Stilbaai
Beaches and whale watching
When can you see whales in Stilbaai?
Southern right whales come close inshore from June to November, peaking from July to October. Watch from the lookout above the harbour, Morris Point or the Noordkapper trail. Lappiesbaai, the main swimming beach, is ten minutes from the farm.
Beaches
Lappiesbaai in Stilbaai East is the main swimming beach, with lifeguards in season and a long stretch of sand for walking. Morris Point is for experienced surfers. The river mouth itself is worth a walk at low tide, where the Goukou meets the sea.
Jongensfontein, about 20 minutes west, has a natural tidal pool about a kilometre west of the village that is safe for swimming, with snorkelling in the deeper pool behind it. Drie Pikkewyne there is a good lunch stop.
Whales
Southern right whales calve along this coast every winter and spring, close enough inshore to watch from land. The whale lookout on the hill above the harbour is the easiest spot. Morris Point and Skulpiesbaai are good too, and the Noordkapper trail follows the shore from Morris Point towards Jongensfontein with whales offshore in season.
Calm mornings are best, when the water is flat and the blows are easy to see. Bring binoculars.
Rock pools and the fish traps
At low tide the limestone shore opens into rock pools, and at Skulpiesbaai you can see the stone-walled tidal fish traps, centuries old and possibly far older. They sit in a restricted zone of the Marine Protected Area, so look but do not fish or collect.
Golf
Stilbaai Golf Club is a windy nine holes, played as 18 over two tees, with sea views from most tees. Visitors are welcome daily; book on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Seven of the region's best-rated courses are within an hour of the Stilbaai turn-off.
Good to know
Questions
What is the best beach in Stilbaai?
Lappiesbaai for swimming, with lifeguards in season. Jongensfontein's tidal pool for children and snorkelling.
When is whale season in Stilbaai?
June to November, with the most whales from July to October.
Where is the best place to watch whales in Stilbaai?
The whale lookout on the hill above the harbour, Morris Point and the Noordkapper coastal trail.
How far is the beach from Stonehouse Lodge?
Lappiesbaai, the main beach in Stilbaai, is about ten minutes’ drive from the farm.
More to do
- Things to doLargemouth bass fishing in the farm damStonehouse Lodge has a large private freshwater dam with largemouth bass, a few minutes' walk from the houses. Guests fish it catch-and-release, and no licence is needed on a private farm dam.
- Things to doBird watching on the GoukouYes. BirdLife South Africa records at least 230 species around Stilbaai, and a single summer day usually turns up about 90. On the farm, fish eagles circle the dam and the river, and the three indigenous canyons hold forest and fynbos birds.
- Things to doHiking trailsStart on the farm: a trail climbs from the river up towards Riethuiskraal through fynbos and canyon. Around Stilbaai there are easy coastal walks to the Preekstoel rock and the tidal fish traps, and longer routes like the 11 km Noordkapper whale trail.
- Things to doMountain bikingYes. Ride the farm tracks through the olive orchard and out onto the gravel roads through the farmlands. Singletrack in the Geelkrans and Pauline Bohnen reserves is a short drive away.
- StayStonehouse LodgeThe stone and thatch main house on the hillside, with a wrap-around veranda over the Goukou River, a bar, a pool table, a swimming pool and the slipway below.
- GuideStilbaai guideGetting here, distances and the town.