Pure Sea Boutique Lodge: A Blissful Eco Escape on the Whale Coast

The perfect combination of life’s simplest joys… If you yearn for no more than that, then Pure Sea Lodge will grant your wish. Think expansive sea views filling the horizon, the sound of nature all around, stepping from your verandah onto the beach, plus sunset hot-tub sessions with tapas and bubbly, and long blissful walks and picnics on private property. Top it off with quietly luxurious eco lodgings and hosts that make you feel right at home.

Coastal oasis

Set within a nature estate on the Gansbaai peninsula, Pure Sea is just steps away from a near-private beach that stretches for kilometres in both directions. The craggy Walker Bay coastline is made for exploring, rockpooling, swimming or surfing. What’s more, it’s one of the few places on this section of the Whale Coast that faces west, for magnificent sunsets.

The 220-hectare estate, also home to zebras, springboks and bontebok, offers fresh-air walks, runs and bike rides amid the fynbos and indigenous vegetation. There are only a handful of properties on this tract of land, so it offers a real escape from the bustle. In fact, it feels very much like a Mediterranean island escape (think Sardinia, Mallorca, Greece…).

Picture perfect

There are just four spacious guest suites, reached by white-sand paths. Inside, earthy tones and textures convey a sense of soulful tranquillity – blonde wood, stone, rattan, ceramics, pure linens and textiles. What will hold your attention first is the view of the ocean – from your bed, the bath or terrace.

Then the details will catch your eye: Corrine Haas pottery, a body-hugging Coco-Mat mattress, alkaline Kangen Water; in the bathroom, locally sourced, organic Just Pure products (including sunscreen). There’s a tap to wash the sand off your feet as you enter, and motion-sensor lighting. The Beach Clean Up bag, holding cotton towels and binoculars, can be used to collect plastic waste – your efforts rewarded with a free barista coffee. 

Feast of the senses

The lodge has a dining-lounge-social area where guests enjoy a generous breakfast (buffet and à la carte) and light meals throughout the day – gourmet sandwiches, bagels, seasonal salads, pizzas, an oyster bar, antipasti-style tapas, afternoon cakes and sweet treats, and sundowner cocktails – all of which can be delivered to your room if you prefer. Twice a week, guests can book for a three-course set-menu dinner.

There is a deck with daybed-loungers under umbrellas beside a lap pool, and giant cargo-net hammocks hanging off the edge, designed for daydreaming; to the side, the chimney of a wood-burning hot tub beckons. There is also a small spa sanctuary called Flow, where treatments are customised to your needs.

The multi-award-winning lodge, lovingly designed and built by the owners, has been their healing space – and so it will be for you. A day here unfolds so effortlessly and pleasurably, you probably won’t want to leave at all – not even to explore the nearby attractions of Hermanus and Stanford. But for those who do need a bit of action, there are beach horse-rides and dune bike rides close by.

The lodgings

• 4 suites: Khoi, San, Olokun and Namaka
• king-size bed 
• ensuite with freestanding bath and rain shower
• lounge/living area
• furnished verandah with table
• tea/coffee station (Nespresso machine) and fridge
• TV with Netflix
• Bluetooth speaker
• binoculars
• air-conditioning
• breakfast included

Things to do

• swimming in the pool or ocean
• catered picnic on the beach
• tapas with sundowners
• wood-burning hot tub sessions (with tapas optional)
• wellness treatments
• beach and bush walks on-site
• cycling trails on-site
• whale watching (in season)
• horse-riding on the beach 
• guided fatbike dune tour nearby
• wine farms nearby

Good to know The lodge closes for winter (1 June to 31 August).
Child friendly? No, only from 16 years old
Pet friendly? No
Wifi? Yes
Sleeps 2 per suite
Cost From R7 900 per night
Where to find it Romansbaai Beach & Fynbos Estate, Gansbaai
CHECK AVAILABILITY + BOOK DIRECT

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