Klipkop Cave, Hoy’s Koppie

This cave is also known as the Hoy’s Koppie Cave. at the base of Hoy’s Koppie, the prominent hill behind the town centre and is within the protected Fernkloof Nature Reserve network.

Excavations at Klipkop Cave have revealed that it was inhabited by early humans during the Middle Stone Age, with debris and rudimentary stone scraping tools dating back between 50,000 and 250,000 years. Thousands of years ago, when sea levels fluctuated, the ocean would have come right up to the base of this koppie, making the cave a prime vantage point and shelter for early hunter-gatherers.

It is free for the public to visit.

The hill is named after Sir William Hoy, the head of the South African Railways in the 1920s. He and his wife’s graves are at the crest of the hill.

The hike around the koppie takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete. A concrete, wheelchair-friendly contour path wraps entirely around the hill, leading you right up to the cave opening. Wooden and stone stairs nearby branch off to take hikers to the summit.