Silvermine Nature Reserve

This reserve is named after the fruitless attempts by the Dutch to prospect for silver in this area from 1675 to 1685. Today its focal point is the Silvermine Reservoir, constructed in 1898. It’s a beautiful spot for a picnic or leisurely walk around the reservoir on a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk. The reservoir waters are tannin stained and although there are signs forbidding swimming, you’ll often find locals taking a dip here. On the southeastern edge of the reserve is Peers Cave: a trail leads here from a marked parking spot on the Ou Kaapse Weg. The cave, which is actually an overhang, is named after Victor Peers, who with his son Bertie, started excavating the site in 1927, collecting evidence of the habitation of the Khoesan (Khoisan) dating as far back as 10,000 years. The most dramatic find was of an 11,000-year-old-skull; it’s thought this was an ancient burial site. Declared a National Monument in 1941, the cave provides a dramatic viewpoint out across Noordhoek towards the sea and is well worth visiting.