We spent Heritage Day at Helderberg Nature Reserve in Somerset West, enjoying a gentle walk, beautiful views and a relaxed family outing.
There are few better ways to spend a public holiday in the Helderberg than getting outside and taking in the natural beauty right on our doorstep.
For Heritage Day on Thursday, 24 September 2026, my family and I headed to Helderberg Nature Reserve in Somerset West, making use of the City of Cape Town’s free-entry offer for the Heritage Day weekend.
We were here for the june holidays too, but that visit was cut a little shorter than planned when the cold wind eventually convinced us it was time to head home.
Heritage Day gave us much better weather.
A relaxed Heritage Day outing
We arrived at around midday and were pleasantly surprised by how relaxed everything felt.
There was plenty of parking available, and there was also lots of open grass where families could sit and enjoy the day. Tables were available too, and while we were there, we saw people enjoying Heritage Day outings, including what looked like a few birthday celebrations.
Kids were playing on the grass, families were spending time together and there was a lovely feeling of people simply enjoying being outdoors.
The weather was almost perfect for it — not too cold, not too hot, with a gentle breeze. I would have happily traded some of the haze for a bluer sky, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the afternoon.
We weren’t there to tackle one of the longer hiking routes either.
This time, we decided to take the shortest and safest route and rather focus on enjoying the surroundings, taking photographs and simply spending time together.
And there is plenty to look at.
The reserve gives you those beautiful Helderberg views that can sometimes be easy to take for granted when you live here. Being there, with the mountain and surrounding landscape in front of us, was a good reminder of just how much natural beauty we have so close to home.
And then there were the guinea fowls
For our son, however, the highlight was considerably closer to ground level. The guinea fowls kept him thoroughly entertained.
He spent a good part of our visit chasing after them, which probably made the outing considerably more exciting from his perspective than any scenic view could have.
For us, that is also what made the afternoon feel like a proper family outing rather than simply a visit to a nature reserve. We weren’t trying to fit in a big hike or tick off a particular trail. We were just outside, taking photographs, enjoying the weather and letting our son explore and have fun.
And sometimes that’s enough.
Free entry continues through Sunday
The timing of our visit was particularly good because the City of Cape Town is offering free entry to Helderberg Nature Reserve and several other City nature reserves from Thursday, 24 September to Sunday, 27 September 2026 as part of its Heritage Month programme.
The free-entry offer applies to the nature reserves that normally charge admission, including Helderberg Nature Reserve, while a number of other City-managed conservation areas are ordinarily free to visit.
For those wanting to stay closer to home, there are several nature reserves around the Helderberg to choose from:
- Harmony Flats Nature Reserve – 11th Avenue, Strand
- Helderberg Nature Reserve – Verster Avenue, Somerset West
- Paardevlei Nature Reserve – De Beers Avenue, Paardevlei
- Schapenberg Nature Reserve – Romulus Street, Rome Glen, Somerset West
- Steenbras Nature Reserve – Faure Marine Drive (R44), about 9km from Gordon’s Bay
The City says visitors can use the Heritage weekend to walk or hike, enjoy the spring landscape, go birdwatching or make use of picnic areas for a family outing.
So if you haven’t made any plans for the rest of the long weekend, this could be a good excuse to get outside.
There are still two days left of the free-entry offer, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026.
Whether you choose Helderberg Nature Reserve, Harmony Flats, Paardevlei, Schapenberg or Steenbras, you don’t necessarily need to plan a big adventure. Pack something to drink, bring the kids, take your camera and simply spend a few hours enjoying a different part of our local landscape.
