Western Cape — Cave Surveys
Sandstone, limestone, and coastal cave systems across the Western Cape province.
The Western Cape hosts the largest concentration of surveyed caves in this archive. Most occur within the Table Mountain Group sandstone of the Cape Peninsula — particularly Kalk Bay Mountain and Cape Point — with additional systems at De Hoop, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay, and along the Garden Route.
Caving areas
Cape Point — 20 caves
The Cape Point area, within the Table Mountain National Park, hosts a series of coastal and sandstone caves at the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula. Access requires a SANParks permit. Leopard Skull Cave, named for a fossil leopard skull found within it, is one of the most notable systems.
Browse Cape Point →Constantiaberg — 6 caves
The Constantiaberg area on the southern Peninsula hosts Adamastor Cave (307 m), Aboulia Grotto, Elephants Eye Cave, and related sandstone cave systems developed in Table Mountain Group sandstone.
Browse Constantiaberg →De Hoop — 16 caves
De Hoop Nature Reserve contains an impressive concentration of limestone and sandstone caves. Hotpot Cave (710 m) and Onmeetbare Diepgat Cave (700 m) rank among the longest in the survey archive. De Hoop is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and strict access protocols apply.
Browse De Hoop →Fish Hoek — 0 caves
Sea caves and rock shelters in the Fish Hoek valley area of the Cape Peninsula.
Browse Fish Hoek →Gansbaai — 6 caves
The Gansbaai area includes limestone caves on private farms (Boskloof and Heidehof) and the coastal Die Kelders Cave, a site of archaeological significance with evidence of Middle Stone Age occupation.
Browse Gansbaai →George — 3 caves
Limestone and coastal cave systems in the George area along the Garden Route.
Browse George →Glentana — 16 caves
Glentana, near George, is an area of significant cave density along the Garden Route coast. The caves are mostly developed in limestone and coastal conglomerate.
Browse Glentana →Groot Winterhoek — 3 caves
The Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area north of Tulbagh contains remote sandstone caves reached on multi-day hiking routes.
Browse Groot Winterhoek →Helderberg — 3 caves
Helderberg above Somerset West hosts bat caves and related sandstone cave systems.
Browse Helderberg →Houwhoek — 1 cave
Houwhoek Cave is a sandstone cave in the Houwhoek Mountains, surveyed at 80 m in 2003.
Browse Houwhoek →Jonkershoek — 1 cave
Cave systems in the Jonkershoek Valley near Stellenbosch, within the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve.
Browse Jonkershoek →Kalk Bay — 91 caves
Kalk Bay Mountain contains the most extensive concentration of caves on the Cape Peninsula, developed in Table Mountain Group sandstone along vertical joint planes. The caves have been explored since the 1920s; Gustav Meyer conducted the first systematic surveys in the 1930s, and a major resurvey programme ran from the 1980s into the 2000s. Boomslang Cave, at approximately 506 m, is currently the longest cave on the Peninsula.
Browse Kalk Bay →Montagu — 2 caves
The Montagu district hosts a limestone guano cave and a gold mine cave, both surveyed in the early 2000s.
Browse Montagu →Mossel Bay — 7 caves
The Mossel Bay area is home to several coastal limestone caves of great archaeological importance. The Pinnacle Point caves contain evidence of shellfish exploitation and symbolic behaviour by anatomically modern humans dating to approximately 164,000 years ago.
Browse Mossel Bay →Oudtshoorn — 11 caves
The Oudtshoorn district in the Klein Karoo contains limestone caves, some of significant depth. The area also includes Cango Caves, a commercialised show cave not in this database.
Browse Oudtshoorn →Plettenberg Bay — 4 caves
Nelson Bay Cave near Plettenberg Bay is an important archaeological site. Additional coastal caves in the area have been surveyed.
Browse Plettenberg Bay →Table Mountain — 4 caves
The summit plateau of Table Mountain contains a small number of sandstone cave systems.
Browse Table Mountain →Wilderness — 1 cave
Coastal caves in the Wilderness area, developed in sandstone and at sea cliff bases along the Garden Route.
Browse Wilderness →Zuurberg — 2 caves
Cave systems in the Zuurberg range, including Milner Vlakte Cave and Vlêrmuis Cave.
Browse Zuurberg →