Edith Stephens Wetland Park

Edith Stephens Wetland Park, photo courtesy Ian Junor

The Edith Stephens Wetland Park is a place where the natural biodiversity of the Cape Flats and the needs of the local communities are brought together.

The core of the site is the 3.7ha Isoetes Vlei, a piece of land bought in 1955 and entrusted to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden by botanist Edith Stephens. In 1999 the City of Cape Town added a further 35ha of land to form the wetland park that exists today.

Several very rare plant species are found here and the park provides varied habitats for birds, including a detention pond and seasonal wetland. Ibises, egrets and cormorants come to roost in numbers on islands in the retention dam, and waterbird species, including the white-backed duck, occupy open water.

The seasonal wetland can appear lifeless in summer but, with the arrival of the winter rains between July and September, it becomes home to birds like the African and painted snipe. This is a must-visit for bird watchers and nature lovers.

For more information and a map to get there, visit the Cape Bird Club’s website.

  • Phone: +27 (0)21 691 8070 / +27 (0)72 972 6956
  • Email: luzann dot isaacs at capetown dot gov dot za

Walking in Cape Town

Many visitors want to explore nature on higher ground as soon as they arrive in Cape Town and with Lion’s Head and Table Mountain beckoning, many do get to experience the local flora and fauna on foot. However, the entire peninsula can be enjoyed by avid walkers. From Blouberg Beach, with its picture perfect views from its sandy shores, to the more adventurous guided Hoerikwaggo Trails along the spine of Table Mountain, visitors have an expanse of ground to cover.

St James

Just a little further on from Cape Town’s well-known Muizenberg beach (with its ubiquitous Victorian bathing boxes) is St James.

African Wildlife

Although Cape Town and the Western Cape are probably not the best places to experience a safari (Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces are better known for that), it is possible to have an encounter with South Africa’s big game not far from the Mother City.

Llandudno and Sandy Bay

Only 18km from the Cape Town city centre, an arc of fine white sand gives away the secluded location of one of Cape Town’s most beautiful beaches, Llandudno.

Macassar Dunes Project

The Macassar Dunes Project is located on the Cape Town coast adjacent to Macassar and Khayelitsha and is bounded by the Eerste River, Baden Powell Drive and False Bay.

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